Alexander Downer interview - "He who laughs last"

Many books and documentaries are about to appear on the past 11 years. As a central player, how does Downer describe the Howard years?

"We went through a golden era economically. There's no doubt that the Howard years will always be remembered for that and I think the Howard years will always be remembered for building Australia's confidence in itself ... From a country that was pleading to be accepted in its own neighbourhood to the point where it was almost embarrassing, and a country that was debating its identity, to a country that is embraced in its own neighbourhood as a significant albeit occasionally controversial contributor to the neighbourhood and a country that is proud of its identity and understands its place in the world."

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