Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question again is to the Treasurer and follows his failure to answer the previous question. Does the Treasurer recall being asked on Sky News yesterday whether he said the following in 2005: ‘John Howard can’t win; I can’? Does the Treasurer recall his answer yesterday, which was, ‘No’? Does the Treasurer stand by that answer in parliament today?

Peter Costello (Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I stand by the answer that I have just given.

Lindsay Tanner (Melbourne, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Oh, so you don’t stand by yesterday’s answer?

Peter Costello (Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, I am sorry, if you had listened and not interjected you would have heard me say that I stand by the answer I have just given, which is this: not only do I believe John Howard can win the election in 2007; I believed that he could win it in 2005. I will tell you why. All he had to do was defeat the Labor Party.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The Treasurer has to answer the question that he was asked.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member will resume his seat. I have been listening carefully. The Treasurer’s answer is certainly relevant to the question. I call the Treasurer.

Peter Costello (Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think most Australians would have agreed in 2005 that the Prime Minister was in a position to win the next election in 2005. I think probably the person who would have agreed with him most is the Leader of the Opposition himself, because he was at that time doing everything he could to get rid of the then Leader of the Opposition, the member for Brand, on the grounds that the member for Brand could never win an election. So if I have a sin, it is to have agreed with the Leader of the Opposition.