About

Debbie - Sport

You won’t hear me on ABC NewsRadio for the next few weeks, but it won’t be anything to do with Glen Bartholomew’s on-air threat this morning to get into the spirit of AFL Trade Week and trade me to Radio National. (Me and a first-round interview pick for Phillip Adams? What about if we throw in Scott Wales — subject to him passing a medical?)

No, I’m taking leave and, while I’m off, heading to Shanghai to catch the Masters tennis tournament next week. Looking forward to it immensely, of course, but not as immensely as I had hoped.

While watching the US Open last month I decided that it was high time I stopped bemoaning the fact I’d never seen Roger Federer play live and just do something about it.

I’ve been a sports journalist on and off for the past 25 years and during that time Federer’s impressed me more than an other sports star. It’s not just his amazing record — the most prolific Grand Slam winner ever in the men’s game, and the astonishing feat of reaching the semi finals at the last 22 grand slams — but his whole demeanour on and off the court. He’s incredibly graceful to watch. He moves effortlessly, speaks intelligently (in three languages) and everyone I’ve ever known that’s had first hand contact with him tells me he’s as affable and professional to deal with up close as he appears from a distance. Just last month I was talking to a high-placed administrator from another sport who told me that Federer is the kind of star every sport dreams of having.

A quick check of the men’s tennis calendar showed Federer’s next commitment after the US Open was the Shanghai Masters. So I booked my flights and accommodation, organised media accreditation and, within a week, Federer withdrew from the tournament. Aaarrrghh!!!

Everyone keeps telling me the solution is to go the Australian Open in January. Sounds simple, but getting time off from ABC NewsRadio in January is virtually impossible given we are committed to full-on programming over the summer while the other ABC networks put their usual line-ups into recess.

I’m sure I’ll have fun in Shanghai anyway and see some good tennis. But I won’t be overdoing it on the Duty Free spending or the ATP merchandise. I’m saving my pennies and toying with the idea going to the Indian Wells tournament in March. But please, nobody mention it to Roger.

___

Mark - Breakfast EP

I’m not traditionally a huge fan of political biographies, but over the last couple of weeks I’ve been dipping into an updated version of The Costello Memoirs.

It’s Peter Costello’s own account of his time in politics, co-authored with the journalist and former Federal and New South Wales state MP, Peter Coleman, who just also happens to be Mr. Costello’s father-in-law.

I’ve found it quite entertaining….

Oddly enough, it wasn’t the actual content of the book that was all that exciting.

Sure, as a Melbourne boy, I found it vaguely interesting to read what Blackburn — the outer eastern suburb in which Peter Costello grew up, was like in the 1950’s.

But I found Peter Costello’s description of his role in some pretty amazing student political intrigues at Monash Uni, rather passionless.

It was worth being reminded of the ins and outs of the famous Dollar Sweets case, where a young Costello cut his teeth as an industrial lawyer, although I’m sure the union movement would disagree with some of his analysis.

(As a kid I used to play squash at the courts right next door to the Dollar Sweets factory in East Malvern).

And then later I found myself wincing when reminded of some of the clangers during Alexander Downer’s brief stint as Liberal Party leader. (Costello was his deputy)

But the book is more entertaining for what it DOESN’T say.

Namely what Peter Costello REALLY thought of John Howard and his failure - time and time again - to step aside for his deputy.

And Costello’s seeming reluctance - time and time again - to even broach the leadership question with Howard.

Or more generally, his strained relationship with Australia’s second longest-serving PM.

Like many of Peter Costello’s public utterances during his time as Treasurer, it’s rather elliptical.

Journo: “Mr. Costello, how do you feel?”

Costello: “Well it wasn’t my happiest day….”

Journo: “Mr. Costello, are you saying Mr. Howard is a liar?”

Costello: “Well, my mother always told me to tell the truth.”

Costello: “The Liberal Party needs renewal.” (John Howard has refused to step down as leader AGAIN, and won’t give me a go.)

In a farewell article in today’s Fairfax papers, Mr. Costello writes.

“Critics say I didn’t make it to the top office. I would have liked to. And I tried. But I think it is fair to be judged on how you discharged the office you did hold, not on how you didn’t discharge the office you didn’t hold.”

True, but it’s worth asking why Costello didn’t become PM.

Sure, John Howard didn’t step aside.

But there was another problem.

Despite his considerable achievements in public life, including bringing down more than a dozen Federal budgets, to many Australians Peter Costello remained an enigma with an unfortunate smile which looked like a smirk.

We THOUGHT he wanted to be Prime Minister…

We were never in any such doubt about what John Howard, Paul Keating, Bob Hawke or Kevin Rudd wanted.