____ wrote on May 11
th, 2012 at 1:52pm:
THE explosion of grudges in the Liberal Party came to a head in a corridor clash today between senior Victorian party figure Michael Kroger and shadow treasurer Joe Hockey.
Mr Hockey had been in Melbourne's 3AW offices listening to Mr Kroger repeat claims that former mate Peter Costello constantly criticised his state and federal Liberal colleagues.
As Mr Kroger left the interview studio Mr Hockey confronted him and the pair exchanged words.
At one point Mr Hockey's press secretary tried to get Mr Hockey to come into the studio but was sent away.
The encounter highlighted the eruption of tensions within the Liberals which threatens to distract from the Federal Opposition's attacks on the Gillard government.
Mr Kroger had revealed former Treasurer Peter Costello thinks Tony Abbott is an "economic illiterate'', doesn't have a good word for John Howard and remains critical of former colleague Alexander Downer.
Mr Costello's bitterness towards "Howard and all his former colleagues'' previously was known only over lunch tables at Melbourne restaurants and exclusive clubs.
But revelations today have exposed an explosion of grudges within the top Liberal ranks and deep fractures within the the party is in its flagship state of Victoria, and federally.
At the centre is Mr Costello, the former Treasurer hailed as an economic mentor by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott in his Budget reply address last night.
And the lid on long-simmering feuds was lifted by a former Costello political partner and best friend Michael Kroger. The two fell out in 2007 when Mr Costello was set to lead the Coalition in Opposition after the election but instead quit Parliament.
The last time they spoke was in October at a private Melbourne club when Mr Kroger insists Mr Costello asked him to help get a safe seat for a return to federal politics. Mr Costello has denied this.
Mr Kroger decided today enough was enough and exposed his former mate's bitterness, calling him a "bear with a terribly sore head, a migraine headache'' who continued to attack former Prime Minister John Howard among others.
"People have just had enough of all this criticism,'' Mr Kroger, a past state Liberal president, told ABC radio.
"People in the Liberal Party. We're sick of him attacking John Howard. Everywhere he goes, 'No, Howard's no good'.
"He refuses to appear anywhere with John Howard.''
Mr Kroger said: "As all of his ex friends know, lunch with Peter is an agony. it's a nightmare.
"You sit there and listen to him unload on Howard. He's not gracious about John.
"Alexander Downer was a great foreign minister...He's got to make up with Alexander...
"Peter has got to stop criticising Tony Abbott. He is not a economic illiterate. he's a Rhodes Scholar for God's sake.
"He's got to stop criticising (federal Liberal president) Alan Stockdale and Malcolm Turnbull and (Melbourne Lord Mayor) Robert Doyle and (Senator) Michael Ronaldson and John Hewson and Andrew Peacock and (Mr Kroger's former wife Senator) Helen Kroger.
"The list goes on and on...the Kemp brothers...the list goes on and on.''
Mr Kroger repeated the claim that Mr Costello had asked him to find a seat for him, and stick by it, although he suggested Mr Costello "puts a different interpretation on what he said''.
"Oh I wish I had another go,'' Mr Kroger quoted him as saying.
"Peter doesn't seek to help Tony Abbott at all,'' continued Mr Kroger. He didn't seek to help Malcolm Turnbull at all (when he was Opposition Leader).''
The bitterness is being linked to recent Liberal infighting in Victoria which saw a nasty campaign against at least one of the three former Costello advisers now members of Parliament.
It also saw this week an attempt to unseat Senator Helen Kroger as Senate Opposition Whip. It's a relatively minor job but the move against her indicated the tensions within the party.
Former Howard minister Peter Reith - who has had clashes with Mr Abbott and Mr Stockdale over the Liberal presidency - today tried to play down Mr Kroger's comments as "just a joke''.
"All this story is is two blokes have lunch, two exes - one an ex-warlord from 20 years ago and a former treasurer five years ago,'' he said.
"He wants to come back. One of them says, 'Gee you were great, and so was I' ... and one says, 'Oh well, you should do something about me becoming prime minister'.
"They're not in it any more. They're out. It's just a joke.''
http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/abbott-slams-budget-as-class-war/story-e6frg12c-1226352993088
Costello may have nothing good to say about Howard, but the pair, while in power, sure made the super industry and the wealthy retirees very happy, as this excerpt from an AFR article "Nothing super about 48billion retirement strip proves. Super had become a dream investment and tax shelter for the wealthy and even the middle-class, fuelled by reforms made by the previous government in its 2006 budget.
Those changes, including the abolition of tax on super payouts to the over-60s, made super a tax shelter and a vehicle for holding family wealth.
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