UAE | General
Expat Australians welcome Howard's bid for fifth term
Australians living in the UAE have welcomed the news that their long-serving Prime Minister John Howard is to seek another term in office.
- By Daniel Bardsley, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:00 August 4, 2006
Dubai: Australians living in the UAE have welcomed the news that their long-serving Prime Minister John Howard is to seek another term in office.
Howard announced this week he would remain leader of the Liberal party and contest elections scheduled for late 2007.
His decision dashed the hopes of finance minister and deputy PM Peter Costello, who claimed recently that Howard now into his fourth term as Prime Minister had promised to step down after two terms.
Howard's time in office has been characterised by economic prosperity, but his foreign policy such as his support for the Iraq War and socially conservative views have alienated some voters.
Geoff Wheatley, 63, chairman of the Australian Business in the Gulf Group, said 67-year-old Howard's decision to contest the next election was "to be applauded".
"He has done a super job. He has brought a fair bit of stability to the political scene. He hasn't gone the way of [British PM] Blair, who is heading towards some sort of disaster.
"I think he'll go down as a very good economic manager. All states have enjoyed excellent growth," he said.
Company general manager Stuart Mansbridge agreed, saying Howard's record of producing economic prosperity "cannot be disputed".
"As far as I'm concerned, if he is still producing the results, he should run as long as the voters want him in the position.
"Just because he's been there a while does not necessarily mean the people who want to replace him will be any better," he told Gulf News.
Former chairman of the Australia and New Zealand Association Dubai Fulvio Fabreschi, 54, described Howard as "a very capable leader", adding long-serving deputy Peter Costello had annoyed some people by acting as if he had a right to the top job.
"People don't necessarily believe he has that right. He would probably make a good leader, but people are quite happy with John Howard," he said.
However, he said Howard, who won elections in 1996, 1998, 2001 and 2004, was taking "a bit of a risk" in wanting to continue beyond the next election as things could always turn sour economically.
"He'll win the election, no doubt about it, but my view is that you should always go out on a high, when people still want you," he said.
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