Peter Costello on the recent byelection victory for the Liberals, in Costello’s former seat of Higgins:
It is hard to think of circumstances more propitious for the Greens: a sympathetic press, no Labor candidate, a Liberal leadership spill, parliamentary debate on the emissions trading legislation and the media focus on Copenhagen. And Abbott, as new Liberal leader, didn’t get time for a visit. Still the Greens fluffed it.
This did not stop Brown declaring a great triumph. As usual, there has been little critical appraisal of his performance.