Ex-PMs in battle over who’s bitter

There is no way I’d be hanging around like embittered Kevin Rudd . . .

— MALCOLM TURNBULL

A WAR of words has erupted between Malcolm Turnbull and Kevin Rudd after the recently deposed prime minister described the former Labor leader as a “miserable ghost” who hung around politics “driven by hate”.

Mr Rudd hit back late yesterday, saying the Mr Turnbull was “in the media every day” talking about the recent leadership spill.

The former leaders have had a frosty relationship since Mr Turnbull vetoed Mr Rudd’s bid to become United Nations secretary-general in 2016.

Mr Rudd was responding to a leaked recording of a speech Mr Turnbull made to a group of young leaders in New York on Friday, in which he said it was important not to be driven by hate like former leaders Mr Rudd and Tony Abbott, who remained in Parliament after losing the top job.

“When you stop being prime minister, that’s it,” Mr Turnbull said.

“There is no way I’d be hanging around like embittered Kevin Rudd or Tony Abbott. Seriously, these people are like, sort of miserable, miserable ghosts . . . Move on.”

Mr Turnbull, who has been in New York since being deposed as PM, joked about the poor-quality recording after journalists mistook “embittered” for limpet (a clingy mollusc) and lipid (an insoluble fat).

“I hate to spoil a good lipid or limpet (or lipidinous limpet) story – but the adjective mistaken for, variously, an indissoluble fat or a tenacious sea slug is ‘embittered’,” the former PM said on Twitter.

Mr Rudd tweeted yesterday: “Dear Malcolm. A quick reality check on “miserable ghosts”: 1st, having told the world you’ve left politics behind, you seem to be in the media every day talking about it. 2nd, in case you didn’t notice, I left parliament for NYC 5 years ago. Why not come over for a cuppa?”

In his speech, Mr Turnbull also described the coup which saw him lose his job on August 24 as “crazy”. He pointed out he was behind 51 to 49 per cent in published polls and was ahead in internal polling.

“But for reasons that they’ve not been able to explain, you know, there was an element of the party and of the media that wanted to blow the government up, and they did,” he said in the leaked recording.

“And of course, they didn’t get their guy up, they got ScoMo [Scott Morrison].”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he would “leave all of the ghosts in the past”, and thanked Mr Turnbull for representing Australia at a recent United Nations forum.

THE Tasmanian Government will demand guarantees from the Federal Government before it will sign up to a restructured GST carve-up.

Premier Will Hodgman said a proposal floated in July which suggested the state would receive an extra $112 million between 2020-21 and 2026-27 was on the face of it good for Tasmania.

“The Government will not accept any outcome on the GST that is not in Tasmania’s best interests,” he said.

State and territory treasurers meet tomorrow. Recently Treasurer Peter Gutwein and his then-federal counterpart Scott Morrison reportedly had a robust conversation about the GST. Then-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull sidelined Mr Morrison and dealt directly with Mr Hodgman.

Mr Morrison said yesterday in Western Australia, where there are five Coalition seats at risk, legislation for the $9 billion overhaul of the carve-up would be introduced in a fortnight.

Mr Hodgman said Tasmania’s position would be that the Federal Government must deliver on its proposed agreement including: THAT at a minimum over the period to 2026-27, Tasmania would be $112 million better off in GST receipts than under the current arrangements; A BINDING and enforceable guarantee that Tasmania will not be worse off under the proposed system compared to the current system in each year; A GUARANTEE that the additional funding provided by the Commonwealth Government will not diminish other grant revenue to the states.

“Our position is rock solid – and it is important to note that we have not yet ‘signed up’ to anything,” Mr Hodgman said.

In July Mr Gutwein had said the State Government would run the rule over the announced deal before signing up.

Mr Morrison said the over- haul would put a floor in WA’s share of payments and would equalise other states to the stronger of Victoria or NSW.

“Today, we’re announcing that we will be proceeding to legislate that deal when Parliament returns,” he said.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg yesterday said all states and territories would be “better off”.

“This is good news for Tasmania, which will receive an extra $112 million,’’ he said.

Economist Saul Eslake said it seemed Tasmania would not be any worse off than it is under the existing system.

“That is providing that the Federal Government, or a future Federal Government, doesn’t seek to ‘claw back’ some or all of the billions it is putting in by cutting specific purpose payments to the state for services like hospitals, schools, housing or roads,” he said.

Labor spokeswoman Sarah Lovell said Tasmanians needed to have confidence the State Government would stand up to “their mates” in Canberra.