John Howard just now on Radio National’s Breakfast with Fran Kelly. There was a weird sound in the background the whole interview that sounded like a grave being dug. The audio will be up on the Breakfast website soon and you simply must listen to it. My favourite quotes were these (and I paraphrase as best I can from memory):

“I’m upfront; not like Bob Carr, Peter Beattie, Steve Bracks and people like that. I don’t go around saying one thing knowing that I’ll do another.”

Fran Kelly: What about the handover to Peter Costello?

JHo: Well, there may be a personnel transition but there will be policy continuity.

Fran Kelly: What about Peter Costello’s view on the republic?

JHo: Well, um, Fran, um, you’re the first person to raise that issue with me in four-and-a-half weeks. I just don’t think that’s an issue that is on people’s minds out there.

UPDATE: The interview audio is now available.