Mendacity is everywhere
OR
Howard of the Overflow
I had written him a letter, which I had, for want of better Knowledge, sent to where I met him at the Wheat Board, years ago.
He was chairman when I knew him, so I sent the letter to him Just on spec, to make the point that "Howard doesn't want to know".

And an e-mail came directed, not entirely unexpected (And I think the same was written in some Middle Eastern bar).
'Twas his CEO who wrote it, and verbatim I will quote it:
"Trevor Flugge's gone to Baghdad, and we don't know where he are.

But when he left Australia, he was going to meet with Alia, A trucking mob in Jordan, who were keen to grease the wheels.
For 10 percent commission, they could swing Saddam's permission To get our wheat accepted; it's the mother of all deals.

But I guarantee, Prime Minister, that there's nothing at all sinister.
The chaps at DFAT told us that the sums looked quite okay.
When you're selling wheat in billions, what's a quick 300 million?
If it keeps the Nationals happy, it's a tiny price to pay."

Sitting here at Kirribilli, I've been thinking, willy-nilly, That it's somehow reminiscent of the children overboard:
But I can handle Rudd and Beazley, as I always do, quite easily By endlessly protesting that there's nothing untoward.

I'll tell Bush next time I meet him at The White House, when I greet him, That I'm sure he'll understand about the Wheat Board's quid pro quo.
He'll forgive this minor error in the global war on terror When I look him in the eye and tell him . . . . Howard didn't know!

The downhill slide began when the wishes of Canberra's designer, Walter Burley Griffin, were completely ignored, and the subsequent Parliament House was constructed on Capital Hill, which was meant to be kept free from construction. Burley Griffin explicitly opposed having the Parliament House in its current position since it would create a powerful symbol of centralised power, directly aligned with the Australian War Memorial.

The Parliament House was meant to be built by the side of lake. But no, instead for the foreseeable future we are stuck with an arrogantly positioned cross between bunker and citadel. Custom made by and for arrogant political leaders.

SHONGA I am pleased you learn form my comments. Maybe one day we will even see you implementing a few of them.

Remote centreman, “Exactly. It does not describe Australia today. No room for dissent: it's Howard's Way or nothing.“

Oh and when was the last time you or anyone else in Australia was carted away to be purged of your "dissent".

I seem to remember conformity to the socialist view was the hallmark of the Hawke and Keating governments. I recall it is the socialist government of Victoria which has introduced the most draconian legislation to curb freedom of expression in their anti-vilification legislation, where freedom of expression has taken a back seat to political correctness.

btw “redneck” posts as “redneck” and “Col Rouge” is an entirely different individual.

I said originally the problem with the bloke who wrote the article is - he has not been elected to do anything.
Constructive criticism is one thing but continual whining is not constructive. Better he fround a real job instead of trawling around and dumping puerile articles like this one onto an unsuspecting public.

Thank you for your clever prose, Diver Dan, I salute your perspacicity.

Thank you also for confirming my premise that those most enamoured of anti Howard sentiments like "Republic, Reconciliation and Refugees" are the ones who live the furtherest away from the consequences of those sorts of policies.

You do not have to worry much about ethnic crime, drive by killings and rampant drug trafficking because you live in leafy suburbs protected by economic fences higher than the Berlin Wall.

Here is a bit of prose from the Vietnam War.

"Train him well, the man who will be marching by your side
But never turn your back on him when the battle turns it's tide
For the colour of a man's skin speakes louder than commands
When you have white boots marching in a yellow man's land."

That could apply to OUR country too.

Col, redneck,
We don't agree, however I certainly do learn from your comments, and I am most appreciate your honesty, as with Leigh.

Col sorry mate, I have too much compassion for my fellow man to ever take your views and use them in practise, however you all reveal a side to humanity I have never understood before I came to this place. Because I do not agree vwith your views, that does not mean that I don't understand them, I would very much like to know the circumstances behind such views, as while understanding the views, I am unable to understand what would drive ordinary mortals to such views?

When I was at school we studied George Orwell's novel 1984 as a warning of the dangers of living in a totalitarian state.

It appears the Howard government have used the novel as their blueprint for Australian society in 2006.

At ALL Commonwealth Gamess there are security guards checking EVERYONE - athletes, employees, volunteers, audience - for bombs. The Aussie guards are paid $45 to $20 and guards hired in New Dehli at $4.50 per hour. How can an Indian fail an Australian criminal records check when they have never been here? Can the Australian Police satisfy themselves that their check of Indian residents is as thorough as the checks on Australians?

As the fixed price security contract was let to an obscure firm you can understand why the owner is keen to hire cheap labour. The owner pockets the rest of the money. I am sure the contract documents are "commercial in confidence" and the owner is associated with the Melbourne establishment.