Posted on 03/02/2006 12:23:24 AM PST by Aussie Dasher
THERE was little sign of triumphalism at last night's Coalition celebration of 10 years in power but there were many grand words of praise for John Howard and the party faithful.
While a number of speakers recited the achievements of the Howard-Costello Government, the Prime Minister was quick to remind his colleagues of the danger of losing sight of the Australian people.
"The golden rule of Australian politics is not to get too full of yourself, to understand that you are there to serve the Australian people, not to tell them how good you are," he told a packed Great Hall inside Parliament House in Canberra.
Aside from Education Minister Julie Bishop, who was wearing a full-length, black-sequined evening gown, warnings against the appearance of gloating were taken to heart.
The 1000 guests were smart but hardly overdressed. The $10,000-a-table guests were served a Preece sparkling wine for toasts.
Mr Howard believes that as soon as governments "get tickets on themselves" the public are the first to pick it.
The standing ovation for the Howards was polite and warm but subdued and the fine operatic rendition of Advance Australia Fair didn't get a rousing chorus.
He underlined that the longevity of the Howard Government was based on a balance "between politics and policy" and that the politics wasn't just polls and focus groups but "a perpetual dialogue between the Coalition and the Australian people".
He also referred to the need to have due recognition of 10 years in government balanced against getting on with the job.
The speeches of Mr Howard and Peter Costello were introduced by Nationals leader Mark Vaile in the presence of former deputy prime ministers Tim Fischer and John Anderson.
Mr Howard's longtime Liberal leadership rival, Andrew Peacock, was there but as Mr Howard said yesterday: "Andrew Peacock and I had that funny encounter in 1985 and I ended up becoming leader and we've long since buried the hatchet and he's become a great friend and a strong supporter."
Rod Eddington, the former executive chairman of Ansett who now chairs the Australian arm of investment bank JP Morgan, also addressed the function.
Paul Ramsay, head of the Ramsay Health Group, former Liberal president John Elliott, former defence force chief General Peter Cosgrove, now a director of Qantas, Future Fund chairman David Murray and former leader John Hewson were all on the corporate guest list.
Australia's new New York consul, former South Australian premier John Olsen, former ambassador to Ireland and Howard minister John Herron, former education minister David Kemp, former resources minister Warwick Parer and former health minister Michael Wooldridge were all in the crowd.
State Liberal leaders and former leaders, including Victoria's besieged Robert Doyle, and NSW former premiers Nick Greiner and John Fahey were also guests.
Earlier during parliament, Mr Howard welcomed several former Coalition senators and MPs ahead of the function and said he hoped he could be forgiven for singling out former defence minister James Killen.
"Its important for me obviously as the Prime Minister, but the contribution of the Coalition, the contribution of Peter Costello, extraordinarily significant contribution, the contribution of Alexander Downer as Foreign Minister, Robert Hill who has just retired, the former defence minister and leader of the Government in the Senate," he said.
"And the other person I mention particularly is Philip Ruddock, who I think has done a great job in two very difficult portfolios and handled, in a very deft fashion, those difficult issues of asylum-seekers and illegal immigration a few years ago."
Mr Howard said he was proud his Government had been faithful to its principles and praised its commitment to families, the dramatic growth in the numbers of self-employed and the strengthening of Medicare. "We believe Medicare is fundamentally a good system," he said, despite admitting he had been a critic earlier in his career.
Congratulations John and Jeanette Howard!!!!
i haven't always paid as much attention to Australian politics as i probably should...but i have been the last few years. PM Howard does seem to be doing a good job! AND he managed to this party without Jane Fonda showing up??? :-O
He's doing an OUTSTANDING job. Latest polls show over 70% of Australians want him to stay indefinitely.
As for Fonda...if she'd stuck her head in, she would have had it kicked off! Dopey cow!!!!
70% is almost unheard of! :)
hmmmm...well i TRIED to get you to feed jane to the sharks the other night but you said your sharks had better taste. i thought maybe with some curry??? ;)
Sweetttt
Hey AD I read BBC news wire of course they badmouth John Howard saying he doesn't reach out to Abgorial community in Down Under
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