Former Labor prime minister Paul Keating says current Labor boss Kevin Rudd lacks a clear message and is "running at the behest of little press secretaries".
Fresh from launching a book recounting his own achievements in office, Mr Keating emerged from retirement tonight to offer some advice for his successor as Labor prime minister.
"I think if there's any problem the government has, when I say a problem I don't think it's a problem necessarily, it is to not have an overarching narrative in place," he told ABC Television.
Mr Keating sidestepped a question about the perception of Mr Rudd as a micromanager.
"You can't micromanage a thing like the commonwealth," he said.
Asked if Mr Rudd was giving himself enough time to think things through, however, Mr Keating counselled a measured pace.
"Frenetic activity, in the end, suiting journos, running at the behest of little press secretaries, doesn't pay off," he replied.
Mr Keating declared that when he was in charge, he always had a clear message to take to the public. This had not continued with the "post-me Labor party".
His advice to Mr Rudd was to craft a message around the need to boost productivity, cement Australia's position in Asia, and become a republic.
Earlier Mr Keating called Peter Costello a ‘slow acting dope’, and slammed the Liberal Party for reconsidering him as leader.
Senior Liberals have said Mr Costello will not challenge Brendan Nelson for the Liberal leadership but may agree to a "friendly takeover" if he stands aside.
At a book launch in Sydney today, Mr Keating wasn’t shy to say what he thinks about the plans.
"Mr Costello has made not one valuable structure change in the Australian economy in the 12 years he was treasurer," Mr Keating said.
"It's a Liberal Party so bereft of talent that they have go to such a low grade performer as Costello to come back as their leader ... he is a slow acting dope."
Mr Keating also criticised Mr Costello for "just sitting there and throwing out the tax cuts" to pump up demand as the Reserve Bank was forced to revive interest rates to pump it back down.
"In national terms, to have such a nong - and he is, in policy terms he is a mouse - to have him back again speaks volumes about the Liberal Party," Mr Keating said.
"In Labor Party terms, I sort of hope he does as he makes it a better pitch for us."
Speaking about Mr Costello's forthcoming biography - expected to be released in six weeks - Mr Keating said he expected it to be "as boring as he is".
Mr Costello returned from a South Pacific holiday last Friday and has made no comment on the Liberal leadership, or his possible retirement.