(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - John Howard’s announcement that he will step down during his next term in office if re-elected and leave the job to current treasurer Peter Costello did not affect the way most Australians feel, according to a Newspoll published in The Australian. 62 per cent of respondents say the prime minister’s pledge makes no difference in the way they will vote in this month’s election to the House of Representatives.

Conversely, 30 per cent of respondents say the prospect of Costello taking over power from Howard makes them less likely to vote for the governing Coalition of Liberals and Nationals. In all, seven per cent of respondents—including 11 per cent of Coalition supporters and eight per cent of opposition Australian Labor Party (ALP) supporters—are more likely to back the governing alliance after Howard’s pledge.

In the October 2004 election, Howard was rewarded with a fourth term in office, as the Coalition secured 87 seats in the House of Representatives. The ALP—led by Mark Latham—elected 60 lawmakers. In December 2006, foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd became the new leader of the ALP, defeating Kim Beazley in an internal caucus ballot.

In July 2006, Costello said that Howard told him in 1994 that he would step down as prime minister "after one-and-a-half terms." In September, Howard revealed that, if re-elected at this month’s election, he would not serve a full three-year term and allow his treasurer to become prime minister.

On Oct. 31, asked when he will decide to challenge Howard for the Liberal leadership, Costello said he would serve him "for as long as we work together," adding, "He said it would be a very long period of time. I would be serving him as his treasurer. And I’m very happy to do that."

A legislative election is scheduled for Nov. 24.

Polling Data

John Howard recently announced that, if -re-elected at this year’s election, he will step down as Liberal leader and prime minister during his next term of office, with Peter Costello as his most likely successor. Does this announcement make you more likely or less likely to vote for the Coalition at the Nov. 24 federal election, or would it make no difference to the way you would vote?

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