Rudd clashes with freelancing Costello

Kevin Rudd and Peter Costello have clashed over the economy and climate change, with
the former treasurer offering some advice on the Australian economy's likely fall
into recession.

In a couple of high profile media appearances on Thursday, Mr Costello was happy to
tell Mr Rudd he should delay key Labor election promises to start an emissions
trading scheme next year and to dump Work Choices.
He also told the prime minister that he talked too much and to stop and think before
he speaks.
But Mr Rudd responded by accusing Mr Costello, who now sits on the backbench after
he declined to run for the Liberal leadership after the 2007 election, of
contributing to Liberal Party infighting.
"In the midst of a global economic crisis rather than the Liberals fighting on the
question of jobs in the economy they are fighting only for one thing alone and that
is the Liberal Party and who gets to run it," Mr Rudd said.
"This is a rolling civil war between Mr Turnbull and Mr Costello."
Mr Rudd said it was "inevitable" the Liberals would go back to Mr Costello as leader
and to the industrial relations regime of Work Choices.
Asked why he was putting himself back into the public eye, Mr Costello said he
wanted to offer his views but he rejected suggestions that he was after Opposition
leader Malcolm Turnbull's job.
He said Mr Rudd was all "talk, talk, talk, talk, talk".
"So what is he talking about? Is he talking about what he is going to do? No, no, no
he just goes back to cheap political points and you know, I really would ask the
media to look at this quite carefully."
Mr Costello, who was Howard government treasurer for nearly 12 years, said that an
emissions trading scheme would put up the price of energy, affecting manufacturing.
"It will make manufacturing in this country more difficult and I think the
government has now got to reconsider that. It has to reconsider its proposals in
relation to industrial relations," Mr Costello said.
It was only two weeks ago when deputy leader Julie Bishop stood down as shadow
treasurer that speculation the job had been offered to Mr Costello set off a round
of vicious infighting within the Liberal Party.
While Mr Costello would not address questions about a possible role on the
frontbench or as leader, there are some in the party who believe the speculation
will not stop until he either re-enters shadow cabinet or quits altogether.