Former prime minister John Howard has launched a scathing attack on his successor, saying Kevin Rudd has "done nothing" in government, that the economic stimulus was "too big" and that Labor lacks the courage for reform, but he concedes Labor will probably be re-elected.
In an interview with The Australian, Mr Howard says Tony Abbott is connecting with middle Australia, the "Howard battlers" vital to four coalition victories, because he is more "authentic" than Mr Rudd.
"Apart from spending a lot of money, which is easy to do because everybody puts their hand up for it, he (Mr Rudd) has not done anything," Mr Howard said. "This is his big problem. Even comparing him with Hawke and Keating in their first couple of years, they'd done a lot more.
"Economic credentials depend on more than spending a lot of money to stimulate the economy when there's an overseas recession. One of the reasons why we had a good reputation in this area was that we had undertaken economic reforms. Now there are no economic reforms the Rudd government has undertaken."
Mr Howard, who is the Opposition Leader's political mentor, said he thinks Mr Abbott has a chance to win the next election.
"Tony has a great potential to appeal to middle Australia, because he is more authentic than Rudd," he said.
"History tells you that the government will probably get a second term. But history is there to be remade and recast and turned on its head.
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