Australia needs a leader who doesn't just do what he's told by the Yanks.

Australia needs something that is there for the people and not just a claytons action or spin.

what can i say,

all here are either spindoctors or are either not bothered and hoping that labor will do what they say.

The only time these do something right is election time to get the people on side, but people dont care.

Australian Peoples Party

email:swulrich@bigpond.net.au

'Howard may come to regret missing the opportunity to retire last year'
On the other hand Mr Howard might become Australia's longest and finest Prime Minister ever. Now won't that get up some peoples noses (especially on this forum). Prediting the winner at this stage is about as difficult as picking next weeks weather.

I think John Howard is more astute than our posters give him credit for.

I think he has done a great job on holding the spirit of this nation alive in a way that few other politicians could have done, certainly none from the opposition benches, as their past attempts at challenge have shown.

Oh I know we have a few vocal malcontents around here who would decry John Howards stewardship of our country. He has created opportunity where the opposition would have stagnated.

Not a word of “the recession we had to have”.

He has implemented GST, a decision which has seen significant revenue benefit to the commonwealth but which fairly shared the burden of tax across the community.

He has seen the reform of the wharfs, no longer the victims of tyranny.

He has overseen the reform of employment laws, simplifying employment terms and protecting individuals from the insidious manipulation of unions, regardless of being asked or not, in their employment contracts.

He has pursued a policy closer to “equality in parenting” for those afflicted by family breakdown.

He has advanced our economic and business opportunities and continued to tear down the fake protectionism practices of past generations.

HE has worked to make educational institutions accountable instead of relying on public funds regardless of their merit.

Yep, JWH is a great leader, not perfect. I would sincerely like to see the volumes of tax legislation reduced to something manageable and practical. I would like to see government both federal and state withdraw form attempting to manage our lives.

Oh tapp, read your post, had a little laugh, lets face it, not worth a big laugh.

Screaming Lord Sutch formed the Official Monster Raving Loony Party in 1983 in UK. he used to stand every general election until he suicided in 1999. Somehow I think the TAPP will have similar success as Sutch but without the glamour.

Nonetheless, we live in a democracy and your “democratic right” entitles you to stand. Better that you stand than we were to live in a dictatorship, where you could not.

In Politics 101 in democratic countries - universal suffrage, regular elections etc, it is often said that regular change of government is desirable to prevent entrenched interests dominating. Australia appears reluctant to change.

Despite many claquers among the commentariat in the media, there is not a great deal of difference between the two major parties on most important issues, especially globalisation. Both sides enjoin our industries to lie back and just take it - the monstrous closure of the Blundstone's being the latest casualty. (Take it as read that I'm against globalisation on many grounds, especially the increasing immiseration of sectors of the population. I also deplore a government that can set up "flying squads" to go around the country pouncing on people who reportedly defraud Social Security. (Note that I find the terms "dole" and "welfare" to be particularly repugnant, edging us towards American nomenclature in action as well as word). I would have more respect for the likes of Joe Hockey if those at the big end of town were given the same treatment.

Later this year it remains to be seen whether the electorate has had enough of Mr. Howard and his mixed marching band. In the dying days of the Keating government, there was a distinct whiff of death in the air but my delicately-tuned nose has failed to find such a scent at present -- mind you, hay fever and allergies can produce strange effects. It is reasonable to suggest that Kevin Rudd has a chance of being really competitive and possibly a winner. What an ALP administration would be like in office remains to be seen.

The brutal fact remains that incumbency confers an enormous advantage. The recent hike in allowances for politicians means more money thrown around in the campaign. The amount spent by the Howard Government on propaganda, described as information, has reached obscene proportions. Unfortunately, we can only expect more of the same. As for the media, it's destructive role was clearly demonstrated by the campaign in The Australian to bring down Kim Beazley and attack Rudd as an L-plate leader.

It is obvious that Col Rouge doesn’t even see the dictatorship of Australian politics as real.

It is obvious that Col is blind to the fact of the following.

Leigh saying that Policy is dictated.

Branch stacking

The new definitions by Col

Democracy in Politics.

This is defined by political parties dictating policy to the people.
This is also defined by parties picking up branch ballot sheets to be filled in not by the member but by the branch committee.

Dictatorship.
This is defined by the people to have choice and make the vote for themselves for who they wish and not somebody else.

The question Col Rouge is branch stacking which is widely used within Labor and Liberal parties is this democratic.

Now answer the question

It is also noticed that the people are more prefered to winge than stand and fight for change. With this come the fact that it is all our fault for what we get and if you dont do anything real then you have done nothing.

I think the most interesting point raised in this article - the sleeper issue - is the departure of Arthur Sinodinos from Howard's office.

the departure of a close adviser could indeed lead to a loss of finesse in Howard's handling of particular issues. Then again, Howard's long experience with the media means he has by now internalised the basics to such a degree that he might no longer need Sinodinos the way he used to.

It's the equivalent of the Australian cricket team losing some of its star performers over Xmas - it still leaves a formidable team in play, but with a nagging doubt that some of the magic may have left with them.

Of course, this remains to be seen, and nobody is indispensible in the large corporatised operation of modern political offices. Nevertheless...

Interesting that late last year, many articles wrote that John Howard was "unbeatable" and the ALP was would never govern again, and how the election was a forgone conclusion.

I notice the tone is changing. Mind you most postings in OLO have been pro-Howard.

Even Liberal voters are noting that they were just a tad arrogant last year to assume that they were so obviously right and everyone else was an imbecile.

Are people happier than they were 10 years ago? I don't know many.

The spin will be in full throttle soon but I think many have wizened to the Howard-esk style of propaganda. No body likes a liar.

Howard and just laughs this deception from the lies of the AWB not being known by the Government, that our troops had to go to Iraq as the Weapons of Mass Destruction could even make it to Australia. Ridiculous? Not at the time. It was on the front page of the SMH, and Australians were stupid enough to believe it.

He didn't even ensure that special force David Cobko was allocated the right coffin. The duty of care for soldiers has been frightening. Good thing the Australian soldiers are so resourceful themselves.

A PM that locks children in cages in the outback. Yeah, family values.

A PM who had the Brokeback Mountain or Camp David FTA talks selling out our businesses to US interests to his cowboy "bum buddy", George W Bush. This indulgence still puts our PBS system at jeopardy. Pharmaceutical costs rising are no coincidence, its part of the deal.

As in Brokeback Mountain, Bush and Howard, the couple neglected thier own flocks of sheep.

But they did have a great time in the tent...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRZ3CBs7o6I

This is a pathetic reflection of this country. It is really embarrassing. The would laughs at Australia's pathetic "lapdog" label.

The Government really is on the nose. A clear stench of defeat? Still many months to come for that.

One thing I have noticed under Howard is that Australians have whole heartedly embraced materialism more than any other nation in the world. We were hard at it back in the 70's only with a little more innocent. Then along came the 80's which put the kybosh on our journey of self indulgence. Over the past ten years we have accelerated down that path at such a rate as to make up for the lost time. I hold Howard and main stream media partly responsible for the dumbing down of this country. I hold the people partly responsible for accepting this "Leadership". Howard is the captain of a leaking ship. I wonder how the Labor party is going turn this around?

Oh Tapp, “It is obvious that Col Rouge doesn’t even see the dictatorship of Australian politics as real.”

Get a life, we live in a democracy, obviously you have no experience of what a real dictatorship is. Moscow was closer to London than Melbourne is to Sydney. Proximity tends to educate.

StFletch “A PM that locks children in cages in the outback. Yeah, family values.”

Maybe you should consider first the actions of the parents put those children into boats and sailed to Australia with the expressed intention of illegally circumventing immigration officials, not forgetting that they most likely destroyed their identity papers to cause confusion and fraudulently claim to be of a nationality which they weren’t.

FTA also means Australian firms have greater access to US Markets, darn it how unfair can that be?

“It is really embarrassing. The would laughs at Australia's pathetic "lapdog" label.”

The embarrassment is people like you, malcontents who cannot accept that the democratic majority of people think differently to you and think that this government will do a better job again than Krudd & Co or the Greenies or anyone else.

As for “A clear stench of defeat” no, I suggest bathing more often, you are obviously offending your own nose.

Porphyrin “journey of self indulgence.”

Is not the purpose of government was to respond to the will of the electorate?

The purpose of government is not to choose or direct anyone’s “journey”, oh I know the socialists like to think they have the moral high ground and the right to corral us ordinary voters into the path of socialist enlightenment but since the collapse of the Berlin wall, the ideals of socialism, recalling that Lenin said “The goal of socialism is communism.” All sounds a very hollow.

If it is someone’s choice to be “self indulgent” then let them be so. Their life, let them lead it as they choose and live with the consequences. No government ever knows better than the individuals themselves, the trouble is too many “politicians of the left” pretend they do.