If John Howard returned to politics, a friend and frustrated voter declared this week, he would walk into a seat, government and the prime minister's office.
The comments, from a swinging voter, were uttered only half in jest, and followed the chilling news that a gun-happy United States was being forced to deal with another massacre.
![Australians have to look back 20 years to find an example of true leadership in Canberra.](/web/20160921164414im_/http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/content/dam/images/g/o/a/t/j/e/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gpk28j.png/1466042789990.jpg)
John Howard was forced to stare down many in his own party to introduce his signature gun laws in the wake of Port Arthur, and the fact that he did remains one of the biggest legacies of his leadership.
But it's also an indictment on our current crop of Australian leaders that we have to travel back in a time capsule to 1996 to quickly nominate instances of strong political leadership.
And whether you like or loathe John Howard, his determination to reform gun laws is a stand-out example. Peter Costello, while he never had the top job, showed he had a dose of leadership spunk in setting up the future fund.
Examples exist on Labor's side too. Paul Keating, one of the most polarising politicians ever, led the national policy on both economic reform and native title, and is credited with setting up compulsory superannuation. And Gough Whitlam was the architect of Medibank, the precursor to Medicare.
On the state level, Anna Bligh's leadership during the 2011 floods was widely recognised by the more temperate on both sides as textbook leadership. Peter Beattie, too, dealt with dishonesty issues in his party with a clarity voters appreciated.
But travel forward in time, to 2016, and what examples of concrete national leadership can you find?
Malcolm Turnbull on the Republic? Well no, because while he really supports it, he's not fighting for it.
Malcolm Turnbull on climate change? Well no, because he's bound by what his party wants.
Malcolm Turnbull on same sex marriage? Well no because while he might support it to the hilt, not everyone in his party does.
Conservative voters deserve to feel bitterly disappointed, because Malcolm Turnbull in his previous jobs has always led from the front. Now he looks too scared to give it a go.
Bill Shorten fares no better, and that headman who stood alongside the workers while they were searching for their own inside the Beaconsfield mine disaster disappeared years ago.
New leadership is a temporary post, whipped up by social media and brought on by political coups, where popularity dominates every priority.
And as is evident with Malcolm Turnbull, the chief subjugates his own position to keep his job. As we are seeing, daily, in this election campaign, it makes for dreadful policy.
My friend's quip about John Howard, who lost his seat, government and the prime ministership at the same time, was brought on by the witless and loopy gun laws that rule in America.
But it also shows that even those who didn't vote for John Howard respect a leader who stands up for what he or she truly believes is right, with confidence they can overcome the unpopularity that might follow.
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