FEDERAL Treasurer Wayne Swan has responded to a television report that former Liberal treasurer Peter Costello last year raised the possibility of a return to federal politics.
ABC TV has reported that Mr Costello, who resigned as the member for Higgins in October 2009, asked his old friend Michael Kroger to see whether a sitting member might vacate their seat so he could return to Canberra.
The conversation purportedly took place before Christmas last year.
The ABC has learned Mr Kroger told several federal liberal MPs that Mr Costello asked him to explore whether the Member for Kooyong, Josh Frydenberg, might step aside for him.
The Member for Wannon, Dan Tehan, and the member for Aspen, Alan Tudge, are also believed to have been options.
But Mr Costello told ABC TV no such discussion took place. He reportedly said talk of a comeback was payback over an ugly internal brawl over the Victorian Senate ticket.
Nevertheless, Mr Swan tonight used the news to attack the Coalition's current economic team of Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey and Opposition Finance spokesman Andrew Robb.
"Costello pitch-up no great surprise given the 3 stooges in Libs economic team have trashed Libs eco credentials," the Treasurer tweeted on the micro-blogging site Twitter.
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