justifiable; not only justifiable in accordance with a private view; a private belief. LIZ JACKSON: At the end of 2007, after eleven and a half years as Prime Minister John Howard lost the election and his seat. Many of his senior Ministers had urged him in the interests of the Party to stand down, to pass the baton to Peter Costello, but Tony Abbott was loyal to the end. TONY ABBOTT (Four Corners 2008): From the very beginning of the government to its last day, I thought John Howard was the best man to lead the team. JOHN HOWARD: Tony was a very strong loyal supporter of mine, but that's not the principal reason - it's an important reason - it's not the principal reason why I am a fan of his. LIZ JACKSON: He said himself that he didn't contest the leadership after the election was lost in 2007 because colleagues had said two things to him. One - that he was too hard line, and two - that he was too close to you. JOHN HOWARD: Well, I don't know whether colleagues said that to him or not, but I wouldn't have thought being close to me was a liability; I had won four elections. LIZ JACKSON: Tony Abbott watched and waited while first Brendan Nelson and then Malcolm Turnbull assumed the leadership of the Liberal Party. He busied himself with writing his book Battlelines. (Archive footage of Tony Abbott visiting a bookshop) TONY ABBOTT: Do you have