How Peter Costello looks from London

Peter Costello and Gordon Brown have a lot in common, it's strange the media doesn't seem to have noticed?

I have just spent a few days in London, where Gordon Brown is not having a good time – in fact, he is having a very bad time, as all the economic troubles of the country he leads are being blamed on him, as the former Chancellor and incumbent Prime Minister. I must say that the case against him is strong. For several years, as Chancellor, he treated the good times as a permanent state of affairs, like the improvident cicada in the fable, who, when questioned by the thrifty ant, indicated haughtily that Summer was for fun, not work. Now, he is reaping the results of his intellectual and financial policy laziness, as a long balmy Summer has suddenly turned into a very frosty Winter.

Now, imagine that Kevin Rudd had not won the last election and that, miracle piling upon miracle, John Howard had finally given Peter Costello what the latter believes is his rightful entitlement, the keys to the Lodge. If that were the case, Peter Costello would now be exactly in the same position as his fellow British cicada, Gordon Brown, would he not? So, is it not time that the never will be Prime Minister were finally shown to be as naked as the proverbial emperor? Is it not time that Costello be seen as what he is and was: a wastrel who made merry with other people's money and squandered a once in a lifetime chance to future proof Australia by investing in education and infrastructure, rather than buying votes?

It is time, methinks, and if Australia's media were half as professional as they claim to be, the comparison between Brown and Costello would be a feature of our news page and bulletins. Why is this not so? Could it be that those who fawned over Costello's largesse are afraid of being caught out as the shallow, ill-advised reporteurs they are?

Patrick Callioni is a former senior public servant, with the Queensland and Australian Governments, and is now the Managing Director of consulting company, Enterprise Intelligence Pty Ltd, which specialises in helping business to do business with government and vice-versa. www.enterpriseintelligence.net.au His book Compliance Regulation and Financial Services is available at Amazon