Does this come as a surprise to anyone nowadays? The situation described by the author clearly dewmonstrates that Howard and his cronies, but especially Howard, are so paranois about the public finding out what they're up to that it borders on the pathological. How dangerous is it to our democracy to have a Prime Minister not quite as mad as Joe Stalin? The use of the AFP to control the flow of information to journalists, thye harrassment of journalists through the courts etc etc borders on the neo Fascist. Thank God we only have to put up with this Orwellian behaviour fror a few more monthsd - I hope.

SANE,

The tragic thing is that Labor has not shown any real commitment to opening up the processes.

Remember they are playing the "More Socially concious" conservatives card.

Is it no wonder that the electorate no longer trusts "Little Johnny" and his cohorts when the watchdogs of the press are not only unable to do their jobs effectively, but are also severely punished when they do?

The AFP has too much power. While GW and his mates are here, the youth of Sydney would do us all a favour by leaving unidentified brown paper parcels all over the city to give them something to occupy their time with wild goose chases.

i wonder if ozzies will wake up before we get to the 'gas chamber' level of dictatorship? on present evidence, no.

folk's, it's not john howard, it's parliamentary rule. there's nothing in oz law or custom or culture to stop pollies from doing what they like. people are constantly remarking on how much kevvie subscribes to howard's ideas on police power, while hoping he will be different. talk about bunnies froze in front of headlights...

it began with 'anti-terror laws', and has moved on to 'anti-government embarrassment laws', can you see where the pollies are heading? i was consoling myself that the government didn't have the military presence to enforce control of the public, and then johnny suggests what a good idea to take the queen's shilling would be for young people. just a coincidence, probably.

I have often wondered.
Is John Howard a facist.
Conservative?...Yes;
Radical?.............Yes;
Paranoid?...........Yes;
Paranoid radical conservative = FACIST
After reading this all my fears are confirmed.
This site is also facist it alters the way I want my response to look
and edits my language i.e. w@nker is not accepable but bastard is?

It would be a change to see those media bloodhounds maintain the same dedication that they displayed when reporting on the Pasha Bulker. The whole episode became quite de trop. Our journalists, in their quest to portray the level of corruption and political interference might explore why a high court judge hasn’t been removed from the bench. How ‘bout interviewing his fellow judges? Are they troubled by the fact that a law breaker occupies the position of high court judge? What does it do to the standing of the High Court? How ‘bout reporting on the inaction of the government and opposition over this matter. Interview the GG. Is he concerned that a law breaker sits on the high court judging others? Our bloodhounds could then move on and explore the reasons why a FNQ MP can own a fifty percent share of a concreting company, see that company bid for and win a $175,000 yet avoid getting the punt. Oh, that’s right he forgot to declare his directorship. He was only doing a mate a favour. Did he forget to pick up his share of the $175,000? Follow the money. The company would have details about its bank and how the $175,000 was split up. Why not question this MP’s colleagues. Interview them all. Ask the GG is he concerned about the conduct of this MP.

Instead we get Laurie cuddling his clip-board close to his chest as he asks Kevin if he had dinner with big bad Brian in WA; Juanita in that beguiling pose as she cocks an eyebrow; and of course Sandra in her push-up bra trying to control her mammaries as they threaten to escape.

Real journalism is all too hard. I honestly think that in about 2 years from now the Korean captain of the Pasha Bulker will be accosted by Mike Monroe who will burst out of the shadows and say to the captain: Captain of the Pasha Bulker….This is Your Life. Through the wonders of modern television we’ll be reintroduced to each member of the crew of that hapless vessel. Real news.

The "Press Gallery" have only themselves to blame. Any Government will try just about anything to stay in power. This is even most so with those who believe they were born to rule! But that doesn't mean the press club had to play along. There is very little journalism in Australia these day's at best I heard them described as stenographers. Lies, mistakes and just plain crap get printed or read out straight off the wire without any independent fact checking. All I can say is thank goodness for the internet.

Any sidelining of the Canberra Press Gallery is the logical result of their anti-democratic Left wing bias …the visceral hatred of the Howard government…. nothing to do with policies…it began right at the start in 1996 …. even before.
I welcome the demise of the press gallery …and of journalistic opinion altogether
Who are they to preach to the Coalition…to feed us only that part of the available information that suits their Left wing agenda…to manoeuvre their Labor party into power?
And the same goes for most of the public servants….if they’re not prepared to maintain confidentiality, but insist on peddling selected information to selected Left wing journalists in order to damage the government , they should just get out of the job and push pens somewhere else, or take the rap.
It’s not as if there’s any evenhandedness about the whole thing….only Labor is ever advantaged by it.
Louise Dodson moans about less access now than in the Labor years…what a joke!
Of course there was access in Labor years …she was among mates!
If any of these journalists were really interested in the truth and keeping governments honest, they would be bringing to the Australian people ..right now… the story of Kevin Rudd’s disastrous experience at governance , as the right hand man…the Mr Fixit…. to the premier in the Goss QLD government that made the deliberate decision to break the law, by destroying evidence to prevent scrutiny of sexual abuse of children in state care.
The government had assured several barristers that the evidence would be kept available for forthcoming legal proceedings, but they shredded it anyway.
Labor later prosecuted an ordinary citizen to the fullest extent of the very same law, that they had broken with impunity, and tried to jail him.
Rudd had to have known about the illegal shredding and the ensuing cover-up that continues to this day…as Peter Beattie does….and all of Labor and the left wing journalists.
They even left a murder completely uninvestigated because it was linked to the sexual abuse….had the perpetrator, but never questioned him.
This is relevant now!