Rudd 'comes up very short', says Howard

The Labor federal government is a do-nothing regime that has squandered the surplus built up over 12 years of the Liberal-National coalition, says former prime minister John Howard.

In a wide-ranging interview, Mr Howard takes the opportunity to deny there was a Kirribilli deal done for former treasurer Peter Costello to take over as prime minister and confirm his belief that Australia should go the distance in Afghanistan.

In an exclusive interview in the Sunday Herald Sun, Mr Howard attacked the Rudd government over its emphasis on symbolism and high spending.

He says it is almost two years since the Labor government was elected and it "comes up very short".

"I can't think of a major thing it has done - except spend the bank balance that Costello and I left behind - nothing else," Mr Howard said.

He said the Rudd government had done a number of symbolic things such as saying sorry to indigenous Australians for the stolen generation and signing the Kyoto protocol on climate change.

"The apology - some people regarded that as very important, but it was a symbolic gesture, not a challenging reform" Mr Howard said.

"So I'm scratching - even with the emissions trading system, what Mr Rudd is proposing is not all that different from what I took to the last election."

Mr Howard also said he would not accept a job if offered one by Mr Rudd, unlike former colleagues Peter Costello and Brendan Nelson.

"I am very content with the freedom I have," he said.

"I'm not looking for a job, and I'm not expecting a job, thank you - and I don't want one."

On the war in Afghanistan he said if Australia pulled out it would be seen as a huge defeat for the West and an enormous morale boost for Islamic terrorism.

"Every time there is a death or injury (of an Australian soldier), I wince," he said.

"I still write to relatives - I feel a great responsibility."

He said if there had had to be a leadership change while he was PM it would have been in 2006.

"Would we have won under Costello?" he said.

"I can't answer that - my belief is that we wouldn't."

On the refugee crisis, Mr Howard pointed to his record and said his government had stopped the boats arriving.

"The consequence of our policy was that because we stopped the boats, public support for a higher immigration rate to Australia rose and public support for a humanitarian refugee program was maintained and even strengthened."