I guess the more we speak out against these changes the more we create our own safety in numbers. They can't jail us all surely.

I always knew Howard had his agenda. He went to great lengths to repackage himself as Mr Moderate before the ' 96 election and his wolf-in-sheep's-clothing disguise has been fooling the voters ever since. I think he knows now though that he won't be given another term so this really is his last hurrah. It's almost as though he's drunk on his own power at the moment. There's no stopping him.

Unfortunately, even when this little man is long gone and forgotten, his mean legacy to the nation will live on. And I doubt that too many of Howard's battlers will be left feeling relaxed and comfortable.

An extension of centralisation – whether through IR legislation or other means – would not be a bad thing. We are over governed in Australia. Three levels of government and the number of snouts stuck in the trough for a population of 20 million is unwieldy and hideously expensive, not to mention confusing when it comes to differences in every day law between the states.

As for the ‘demolition’ of Medicare, we have been hearing this from left-wing commentators for years without any proof.

In her government bashing and conspiracy theorising, Judy Cannon offers one of her own - Ross Gittins – as a backup. We all know the political bent of the press and its acolytes. She uses only her own opinion and that of another reporter to justify her creeping centralisation harangue against the Government.

Nothing very authoritative or persuasive so far.

Then she looks to a foreign reporter writing about an incident in a foreign country. “Could this happen in Australia?” she asks. What? Hurricane Katrina? American “ballyhoo”? Or foreign labour laws affecting people with no legitimate counterparts in Australia, because new Australian labour law does not parallel US law?

An ‘odd bod’ Senator and the President of a politicised National Welfare Rights Network are her next allies. Then there are universities, described recently as nurseries for good little socialists, and also Stuart Macintyre who has had enough publicity about his lefty views to need no further description. Poor man is no longer able to present his own views as gospel.

Dear old Judy plods on after this, giving her already known view of terror legislation and sedition laws which she also wants us to fear as much as she and her colleagues claim to fear – on our behalf, of course.

Sadly for her, we knew that the IR laws were coming well before the last election, and we still returned the Howard Government. Most people want to be protected from terrorism and, by 2008, there will be different matters concerning the electorate.

Remember the ‘horrors’ of the GST put about by the lefty media.

It is interesting to read that nothing moves in politics but three things.
Surely there is a new movement afoot or at hand or ahead or at the bottom line of politics that needs to be aired like IR.
The IR laws will concentrate centralist government.
Judy, with John Howard's agendas they are upfront agendas so there needs to be nothing behind them except the process to centralise power.
Once a person has power it becomes addictive as heroin. They always need more power no matter how much power they have. There was an inkling of this power-hungry mindset in "Watergate" and the President Nixon affair. Nixon needed so much power he tape-recorded telephone conversations of staff in the White House and that lead to "Watergate".
Judy, what you need to do is to write a “seditious" article, whatever that is, and see if it gets published this year, and forget this article. There is a TV ad that refers to "the family" and then says "whatever that is". We all don't know what being "seditious" is until it is tested and judged by the government.
That way we will all know just what "seditious' means. The word "seditious" means nothing until the government intepret something as seditious. It is not up to us to interpret something as "seditious". The government forbids us that right.
Remember the book by George Orwell and the opening line: "It was a bright cold clear day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen."
The clocks were striking thirteen because the Government said they were striking thirteen and everything that the government said was fact. We in Australia are beginning that period of the thirteenth hour.

Leigh & GW, I had made a promise to myself, not to insult anyone, which with statements you two have just made, is becoming increasingly difficult. If you have a point please make it, DON'T SHOOT THE MESSENGER, you two are obviously on good incomes, and good luck to you. There is a different reality for many of us, trying to make ends meet, in an increasingly harsh and unforgiving country. Take a friend of mine for example, he is a shopassistant at a take away liquor outlet, earns approx $38,000 per year, works shift work, all days including weekends, has three children and a wife to support. If you think life is easy for that family, think again, by the time bills are paid, there is nothing left, for doctor's bills, who increasingly don't bulk bill, so it is off to the local hospital emergency ward and a 10 hour wait. They are not spendthrifts, and certainly not out of the ordinary, in fact what sort of remuneration do you two think a shopassistant, a clerk, a labourer, a checkout lady, a service station attendent etc, make. You see these people in your everyday lives, do you hold them in contempt, because if you do, it is a large part of the population, which fits into this bracket. I was a purchasing officer on slightly higher pay, but none the less have struggled for all of my life, I have worked very hard, done the unpaid overtime without thanks and the whole exploitation deal. I do not begrudge you your positions in life, why the hell do you begrudge us ours. We have done our best, if our best is not good enough for you two pillars of society, well that's tough. Try to find a bit of compassion in your hearts for your fellow man, you may be surprised, it will be returned a hundred fold.

I agree Shonga.

I think the begrudging of the more fortunate people comes from that dopey mentality that’s so rife in the US: If you’re poor, then it’s your fault!

Forget unavoidable life circumstances.
Forget that you weren’t born to a wealthy family.
Forget that you may have had a traumatic childhood that helped screw-up your education.

No. It’s YOUR FAULT. So you can’t complain you lazy, whining, good-for-nothing commie! Go hug a tree or save a whale.

But seriously, this “It doesn’t affect me so I don’t care” attitude of the more fortunate in life sickens me to no end. The immense selfish, cold-heartedness of that attitude is proof that money blackens people’s hearts.

One of Leigh’s comments on another thread…

“I am of one of the few who is getting what he wants in the way of Federal Government. Nah nah na nah nah!”

…made me feel sick. The fact that someone could poke fun at the potential suffering of the needier people in the county – who's finances and family life will be crippled under IR “reforms” - is appalling.

More on the topic though, I’ve always been aware of the more sinister side of Howard’s agenda. The only thing that keeps me in Australia - despite the conservative revolution that we’re going through at the moment - is the thought that everything works in cycles. Only these days, the cycles seem to move quicker.

We are merely going back to the days before the Union movement; the days where we refer to our bosses as Master; the days where bladders will rupture because of a 12 hour shift with no toilet break (Yes - that did actually happen).

But once this country is fed-up, however long it takes, there will eventually be a revolution, a revolt that will bring things back to the way they are – the way they should be.

What Judy Cannon must realise is that as society changes so to will its institutions. With regard to the IR changes, are we to presume that the ACTU has a cachet which is so unique that society will cease to exist if it isn't there to represent workers? The ACTU is earning the reputation of a Canute, now rendered impuissant because of falling membership.

And to see lawyers and other progressives from the Left aligned with the clergy is pure theatre. Usually it is the Left which denounces christianity and the clergy as being out of touch. And how odd that the family is mentioned in the IR fight. Isn't it the family that the Left wishes to destroy. And if a worker needs to be with his family why isn't the Catholic church happy to see that girl living in Tasmania return to her father in Colombia?

Dare we turn off the grants' tap and stifle research in the humanities? Why don't we make a grant to any member of the academic world who will research and report on the right to free speech for anyone with the name of 'professor Andrew Fraser'.

Barrister Ian Barker is right to express his views (a 'right' not available to Andrew Fraser) on sedition but we should resist his attempt at ipsedixitism. Other barristers who work for the taxpayer hold a different view but haven't taken to letter writing as yet.

Judy is in a sense right and it will in the longer term - although there are cracks beginning to show now - highlight the internal contradiction of this government.

At the same time as it endorses, in principle, the notion of smaller government it has in its actions - on immigration, welfare, IR, terorrist legislation , proposed changs to the electoral act, will all give rise to greater government control.

You can still be over governed by a small government - it is not numbers that count rather the level of control they weild. And this is a government run on the principles of mannagement by getting its own way - even in the face of majority dissent or facts contradiciting their assumptions.

It keeps its own counsel and consults widely with itself - the procession of partisan appointments to various boards and senior public serice roles is testimony to that _ and yes the ALP did it too - but no where near with the finesse or to the extnet that these guys do.

THe internal dissent with in the party over Voluntary Student Unionism, Welfare reform, immigration laws, sedition and anti terrorism will grow over time because in may ways the direction of strict control and over regulation is anathema to the principles once espoused by the "broad church" of the liberal party - the nationals are slowly becoming dissafected as well - we will revisit the old Wet/Dry split of some time ago again

Many of them are seeing their party driven by a desire to stay in power rather than govern for the good of the nation - this type of hubris - a characterstic JH assured us would not be displayed by his government ( and when will the pollies learn, it is our government - not John's, or Bobs or Pauls but ours )with control of both houses.

The hubris of Howard will eventually trip our government up; its a pity so many will suffer while we have to wait.

Full marks to John Howard for his 19th century style statesman like appearance, with which he gives the appropriate tight smile when under duress as with the recent Gerard affair, rather than the unnattractive smirk that his treasurer Costello has been offering lately.

But behind Howard's statesman like look, we could ask why certain queries have been persistently coming from intellectual areas without forthcoming answers?

1. The earlier report through SBS Dateline re George Negus a few months ago concerning the landing in NSW of a shipment of Brazilian foot amd mouth suspected carcase meat causing an uproar from Aussie cattlemen. Yet an enquiry to SBS received the answer that things had to be quietened down?

2. The report through Dissent, an intellectual periodical that Costello much preferred to put huge government profits into a rather dubious Future Fund than use it for much needed funding for schools and medical needs as well as replacement of wornout public infrastructure.

3. Apparently our media has been warned by government not to comment on our nation, for its size, having by far the largest overseas trading debt in the world now amounting to more than 480 billion dollars.

For all John Howard's talk about his political honesty and so forth, why cannot the above queries be aired to the Australian public?

The Great Aussie Heist. (part 1)

by Amateur Gumshoe

Having thrown in their lot with the War For Profit gang, then losing their shirts in the Iraqi caper, The Kid and Gabby Cadaver hit the ground running. It was either the high road to comfort in a gated estate, or the low road to a gulag via The Hague. They were under no illusions; this was for keeps, and history would be written by the victors.

In the investigations room, I looked at the evidence. We needed to establish Means, Method and Motive to clinch the case. "Follow the money", my instincts told me. On the whiteboard I scrawled the following:

1. We had the Means in the IR Bill. This was to be the greatest shakedown of the plebs since the standover rackets of old New York City (ah, golden days).

2. The Method was in the Terror Bill. No doubt about it, the sedition provisions were the best crowd control since the blunderbuss. Mad Mick and the sly boys would make it hot for any do-gooder trying to tail the gang back to the stash.

My eye fell upon the virtual couch over in the corner. That old horsehair monstrosity had rubbed arses with Ness, Spillane and Fitzgerald. Adding a dash of absinthe to my mocha, I voyaged the recumbency to seek the council of spiritual mentors, and augur some answers.

I thought the gang's chief weakness might lie with the bat-eared galoot in charge of accounts. There had been early rumors of him going straight, but now the books were so thoroughly cooked, they were little more than a work of fiction. "Pious Pete has burned his bridges", I decided, and moved on.

The Great Aussie Heist (part 2)

I turned over the entire rogue's gallery in my mind and stopped when I came to Oppo Walrus. The faithful just couldn't comprehend that the turd had been running interference for The Kid all these years. I wondered how often he could betray the cause before the troops awoke and and dealt him the black spot. Mental note: Find out what position Oppo has been offered in the new regime. Check connections to the Chimp's gang. Concrete overshoes - what size?

Back at the whiteboard I wrote the following under Motive:

1. Instead of fixing the crooked accounts, the bastards are going to debauch society so that it fits the books.

2. Expensive fuel will ambush food production and distribution.

3. Haves and have-nots. Who chooses who's in and who's out?

4. Monetary economics has no answer to a human crisis.

5. Classical economics values money over human life.

The dots pointed only one way. The Kid had decided to leg it with his rich cronies, leaving the rest of us holding the merkin. Too bad so many opposition politicians thought they belonged in first class too.

"Me too! Me too!" Echoes around a Canberra eatery on which the sun never sets, and fine cutlery chimes with the ring of a crystal prayer-wheel. Oh, make haste!

Back on the prickly horsehair, the spirit of Fitzgerald whispered in my ear, "I've got the Chimp's balls on toast".

Thankful for that at least, I rolled over and dozed fitfully.

FIN

I would like to comment on our Governments IR and Welfare to Work Legislation as it relates to my situation. I have chronic lymphocytic leukaemia diagnosed in June of this year, I am not eligible for any Centrelink payment because of my wifes earnings. I an not eligable for Disability Support Pension because even with an incurable, terminal cancer it is deemed by those in the know that I can work 3 hours per day. (I can only walk due to high dose prednisolone - cortico steroid).

My wife asked if she could work overtime at her job and was told we will pay you as a casual. No penalties for weekend work or overtime. The IR laws will make little difference because current laws are not being enforced.

Now I am being told that if I want to keep my health care card I have to attend jobsearch training. This is ludicrous I am 51 and there are no jobs out there. And who is going to employ someone with an incurable disease.

But if I can work 1 hour per week I will not be unemployed and the statistics will look just fine. What a farce.

Loved the Great Aussie Heist, Chris. Really brilliant writing. It deserves a much wider audience than it will find here. Hopefully it has one.

I agree, Oppo Walrus has betrayed us all. After the debacle in the senate this week, I think you should add Indy Fielding and the little gNat to your whiteboard. There's a nasty smell here somewhere. Perhaps you can ferret out the true state of their connections to the Chimp's gang. Seems like another 30 pieces of silver has found its way from Pious Pete's bottomless stash into their malleable little paws.

We can only hope that the whisper from Fitzgerald's spirit truly does materialise, and sooner rather than later.

Can't wait for the next installation of this cryptic masterpiece. Keep it coming.