Fed: Howard hopeful about next election

AAP General News (Australia)
12-08-2000
Fed: Howard hopeful about next election

CANBERRA, Dec 8 AAP - Prime Minister John Howard said today he would give his government
seven or eight out of ten on policy achievement as it headed into an election year.

Mr Howard said he was hopeful about his government's chances in the next election,
due to be held in the second half of 2001, but said campaigning for a third term was often
hard.

He said he was proud of how the coalition had performed on the policy front, although
he refused to give himself a rating.

"Me, personally, I'll leave that to others," Mr Howard told Radio 3AW.

"On policy achievement, I'd give the government seven or eight out of ten.

"I think what we've done on the policy front this year has been quite remarkable, and
I am very proud of it."

He said he was hopeful about the next election.

"I think the next election will be quite hard because I'll be asking the public to
vote for us third time in a row, and that's always difficult."

However he said he was encouraged by the success of the Canadian government, which
was recently returned to power for a third time.

"Although there are some philosophical differences between his party and mine, I've
been encouraged by that," he said.

Mr Howard said he would have a three-week holiday between New Years Eve and January 21.

AAP jb/eg/jtb/bwl

KEYWORD: ELECTION HOWARD

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