Its time to go John..

December 11, 2007 12:00am

SIXTEEN days after losing the election, former prime minister John Howard yesterday began moving out of his official Sydney residence.

Moving vans turned up at Kirribilli House just after lunch yesterday to transport Mr Howard's personal effects back to his family home in Wollstonecraft.

Mr Howard and his wife Janette shunned the Lodge in Canberra and moved into Kirribilli House after he won the federal election in 1996.

Newly elected PM Kevin Rudd, who has been hosting foreign leaders on the verandah of his Brisbane home, says he will make the Lodge in Canberra his official residence. He plans to use Kirribilli House when he is on official business in Sydney.

The Rudds have yet to set a date for moving into their new residence. And they have said they will not rush the Howards, who must now leave the residence that has been their home for more than 11 years.

As a result, Mr Rudd played host to visiting New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark at his Brisbane home over the weekend.

Mr Howard, who not only lost government but his seat of Bennelong in the November poll, has most recently taken to the golf course in his new life after politics.



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John Howard should be greatly congratulated.

He has left his home of 11 years only 16 days of finishing there.
In his typical effective ways, it is all done with a minimum of fuss and drama, well within reasonable time.

Sprintcyclist wrote on Dec 11^th, 2007 at 8:53pm:

John Howard should be greatly congratulated. He has left his home of 11 years only 16 days of finishing there. In his typical effective ways, it is all done with a minimum of fuss and drama, well within reasonable time.

What a guy.  John's a hero.  Contrast that with Liebor's Paul Cheating who dragged his feet in moving out of The Lodge in 1996.


Quote:

However, after former Labor leader Paul Keating's defeat in the March 2, 1996 election, it took one month before John Howard spent his first night at The Lodge on April 1. There's nothing like a sore loser

Quote:

The Rudds won't even be using Kirrabilli, but your ilk were harping on Howard taking a whole SIXTEEN days to move- so why the fuss?

Even so the Howards arent entitled to use it-- . thats the point. They have a 2 million dollar house to move into so what do you care?

They are not exactly skint. The house at Wollstonecraft has been renovated at taxpayers expense as well so they will be happy.

Youve visited BOTH my topics so far and your input has been impeccable as usual.

wrote on Dec 11^th, 2007 at 9:35pm:

The house at Wollstonecraft has been renovated at taxpayers expense as well so they will be happy.

Really?  I would very much like to read that myself.  Would you provide a link please?

from crikey:

It is of course more than likely that the Prime Minister was just being polite. Take as long as you like, Kevin Rudd told John Howard. Don't rush to leave Kirribilli, move out when you're good and ready.

The refined social instinct that can infallibly sort the genuine offer from a civilised but rhetorical gesture in these situations is a rare gift. But anyone with a hide fractionally finer than that of a well-tanned rhinoceros would have sensed that the decent thing on losing the election would be to pack up from all official residences with dispatch.

So how is it, two weeks down the track, that the PM and wife are still gazing out across the Kirribilli lawns from the breakfast nook? The pair of them still being kept by the Australian taxpayer in the manner to which they became accustomed over 11 years, 11 years in which their preference for Kirribilli over the Lodge cost the Australian taxpayer something in the order of $17 million?

We wouldn't normally worry, it's just that John Howard has form when it comes to not knowing when it's, ah, time to go. So ... could we suggest, Mr Howard, if you can prise your wife's finger nails from the south drawing room's axminster, that being there for Christmas would not be a good look?

freediver wrote on Dec 10^th, 2007 at 7:11pm:

from crikey: It is of course more than likely that the Prime Minister was just being polite. Take as long as you like, Kevin Rudd told John Howard. Don't rush to leave Kirribilli, move out when you're good and ready. The refined social instinct that can infallibly sort the genuine offer from a civilised but rhetorical gesture in these situations is a rare gift. But anyone with a hide fractionally finer than that of a well-tanned rhinoceros would have sensed that the decent thing on losing the election would be to pack up from all official residences with dispatch. So how is it, two weeks down the track, that the PM and wife are still gazing out across the Kirribilli lawns from the breakfast nook? The pair of them still being kept by the Australian taxpayer in the manner to which they became accustomed over 11 years, 11 years in which their preference for Kirribilli over the Lodge cost the Australian taxpayer something in the order of $17 million? We wouldn't normally worry, it's just that John Howard has form when it comes to not knowing when it's, ah, time to go. So ... could we suggest, Mr Howard, if you can prise your wife's finger nails from the south drawing room's axminster, that being there for Christmas would not be a good look?

Kevvy didn't mean what he said?

freediver wrote on Dec 10^th, 2007 at 7:11pm:

from crikey: It is of course more than likely that the Prime Minister was just being polite. Take as long as you like, Kevin Rudd told John Howard. Don't rush to leave Kirribilli, move out when you're good and ready. The refined social instinct that can infallibly sort the genuine offer from a civilised but rhetorical gesture in these situations is a rare gift. But anyone with a hide fractionally finer than that of a well-tanned rhinoceros would have sensed that the decent thing on losing the election would be to pack up from all official residences with dispatch. So how is it, two weeks down the track, that the PM and wife are still gazing out across the Kirribilli lawns from the breakfast nook? The pair of them still being kept by the Australian taxpayer in the manner to which they became accustomed over 11 years, 11 years in which their preference for Kirribilli over the Lodge cost the Australian taxpayer something in the order of $17 million? We wouldn't normally worry, it's just that John Howard has form when it comes to not knowing when it's, ah, time to go. So ... could we suggest, Mr Howard, if you can prise your wife's finger nails from the south drawing room's axminster, that being there for Christmas would not be a good look?

Completely agree FD-

Its such poor form for them to be still lingering in  Kirribilli.

Kevin was being polite and the Howards should not take advantage of that.

They have no right to the  privileges of a Prime Ministerial residence any longer ,at tax payers expense, Lord knows hes sucked the gravy train dry for long enough. A week was enough time to be  gone- 2 weeks -ample .

wrote on Dec 10^th, 2007 at 8:50pm:

Completely agree FD- Its such poor form for them to be still lingering in  Kirribilli. Kevin was being polite and the Howards should not take advantage of that. They have no right to the  privileges of a Prime Ministerial residence any longer ,at tax payers expense, Lord knows hes sucked the gravy train dry for long enough. A week was enough time to be  gone- 2 weeks -ample .

If Kevvy doesn't care why should all the busybodies?

And as Kirribilli is in Sydney and Kevvy is moving into The Lodge in Canberra there's absolutely nothing stopping him from moving in.  But he hasn't.

So what's really the issue?  A New Idea gossipy story?  I'm afraid it has no worth, Kevvy is free to move in to The Lodge at any time and chooses not to, and the Howards have boxed their stuff and moved much of it out.  You will recall, through your haze of spite, that they lived there for eleven years.  It probably takes a little time to re-locate.

deepthought wrote on Dec 11^th, 2007 at 10:01pm:

wrote on Dec 11th, 2007 at 9:35pm: The house at Wollstonecraft has been renovated at taxpayers expense as well so they will be happy. Really?  I would very much like to read that myself.  Would you provide a link please?

Bump (as this got buried by a thread amalgamation)

Howard spruces up the house

October 28, 2007

Advertisement
PRIME Minister John Howard is well placed to make a quick exit from Kirribilli House should he lose the election, thanks to renovations to his family home.

Residents in Milner Crescent, Wollstonecraft said builders had been busy for the past three months at the Howards' two-storey house, erecting a treated pine fence, altering windows and putting a new roof on the rear garage. Workmen applied what appeared to be the finishing touches on Friday, adding a sheen of newness to the long-dorman.t house.

Many locals speculated the house, which sits on a curving and leafy street, could soon be re-tenanted, either as a result of the Prime Minister losing the election or stepping down for Treasurer Peter Costello.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister was making the most of his current taxpayer-funded living arrangements yesterday, taking his regular morning walk through Kirribilli.


--

wrote on Dec 12^th, 2007 at 7:35pm:

Howard spruces up the house October 28, 2007 Advertisement PRIME Minister John Howard is well placed to make a quick exit from Kirribilli House should he lose the election, thanks to renovations to his family home. Residents in Milner Crescent, Wollstonecraft said builders had been busy for the past three months at the Howards' two-storey house, erecting a treated pine fence, altering windows and putting a new roof on the rear garage. Workmen applied what appeared to be the finishing touches on Friday, adding a sheen of newness to the long-dorman.t house. Many locals speculated the house, which sits on a curving and leafy street, could soon be re-tenanted, either as a result of the Prime Minister losing the election or stepping down for Treasurer Peter Costello. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister was making the most of his current taxpayer-funded living arrangements yesterday, taking his regular morning walk through Kirribilli. --

It doesn't seem to mention "The house at Wollstonecraft has been renovated at taxpayers expense as well".

Can you link to that revelation please?

John Howard drew his salary from the taxes paid by you and me DT..did he not?

wrote on Dec 12^th, 2007 at 8:06pm:

John Howard drew his salary from the taxes paid by you and me DT..did he not?

Oh I get you.  So Little Kevvy has been living in a tax payer funded house in Brisbane all this time?

John likes a round of golf..

John on the left.



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deepthought wrote on Dec 12^th, 2007 at 9:00pm:

wrote on Dec 12th, 2007 at 8:06pm: John Howard drew his salary from the taxes paid by you and me DT..did he not? Oh I get you.  So Little Kevvy has been living in a tax payer funded house in Brisbane all this time?

Bump.   Kevvy's still living in that taxpayer funded house in Brisbane oceans.   Reckon he's scabbing off our taxes mate?

Amen to that, his move out of Kiribilli was 11 years too long. Finally Rudd can make himself @ home.

Looks like we'll be seeing alot more of Johnny Boy on the golfing range (rather than at the Cricket feild Lolz  ;D)

However, Rudd's got nothing to complain about, does he even have to pay land rates on that thing!?

Labor_Man wrote on Dec 14^th, 2007 at 2:00am:

Amen to that, his move out of Kiribilli was 11 years too long. Finally Rudd can make himself @ home. Looks like we'll be seeing alot more of Johnny Boy on the golfing range (rather than at the Cricket feild Lolz  ;D) However, Rudd's got nothing to complain about, does he even have to pay land rates on that thing!?

Greetings LM.  I hope Kevvy will be very happy in Canberra.  I hear the snow looks lovely on the ground there.