In a morning interview with Macquarie radio, Mr Howard said it remains an extraordinary privilege to lead the country and that more challenges lay ahead for the government.
Meanwhile Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has told the Channel Nine television network that the Prime Minister is a good people manager who doesn’t interfere with the work of his ministers.
"Really, he does leave us to do our jobs but he keeps a fatherly eye on all of the issues we have to deal with... and I think more than anything sets the broad direction for the government," Mr Downer said.
Gala Banquet
Last night Mr Howard celebrated his decade in Australia’s top job surrounded by the elite of the nation’s conservative politics and captains of industry.
About 700 Liberal and National party faithful along with prominent business figures joined Mr Howard and his wife Janette, in a $1,000-a-head gala dinner in Parliament House in Canberra.
The Prime Minister said he was grateful to the Australian public for their support over the past ten years and promised to try not to abuse their trust.
"I am deeply conscious of the trust that you have put in us and I am deeply grateful ... for the privilege that has come our way," Mr Howard said in a speech.
"We have tried not to abuse it and we will try in the future never to abuse it, because public life is the ultimate in terms of serving a nation and serving a community,” he said.
In a brief speech, Treasurer Peter Costello, acknowledged that the date marked another anniversary. "It's not just a wonderful 10th anniversary for the coalition government," he said.
"There is another 10th anniversary that we ought to acknowledge tonight - it's the 10th anniversary of Labor in opposition," Mr Costello said.
Leaders past and present
A standing ovation greeted Mr Howard and his wife who entered the hall just ahead of Deputy PM Mark Vaile and his wife Wendy.
John Anderson and Tim Fischer, both former deputy prime ministers attended the function along with five Liberal Party presidents and three Nationals presidents and a number of cabinet ministers.
Mr Howard is known for his fondness for the Menzies era of Australian politics and the daughter of Sir Robert Menzies, Heather Henderson, was among the guests.
The non-executive chairman of the dinner's sponsor JP Morgan, Sir Rod Eddington, praised the government's economic management.
"The Australian economy over the last 10 years has outperformed virtually every other economy in the western world," Mr Eddington said.
”Little to celebrate”: Beazley
However, Opposition Leader Kim Beazley told reporters on Wednesday the government had little to celebrate.
"On this 10th anniversary of the Howard government we find record foreign debt - more than twice what it was that John Howard inherited," Mr Beazley said.
Meanwhile the Australian Greens have their own cause for celebrations, with Green’s leader Bob Brown marking his own decade in the Senate.
In a far cry from the $1,000-a-head banquet in honour of the Prime Minister, Senator Brown will instead light 10 green candles on a chocolate cake in his office with other Greens senators and staff.