"Well done Graham, you have made a case and nailed your colours to the mast..." (Quote:Bruce Haigh)

Indeed he has. And whilst everyone is entitled to a point of view, I think it unfortunate that the MODERATOR of this site should express a leaning to either Left OR Right on his own forum.

I agree though. Howard MUST stay.

That is the only way we are guaranteed of the defeat of this vile Neo-Conservative Government.

"Howard is going to lose this election. In which case the Coalition's most immediate job is to ensure it retains enough seats to make the incoming Labor government accountable. Howard needs to be leader to achieve this"

By the authors own admission the electorate has switched off to Howards message so I find it hard to believe he then has the standing within the party or the electorate to achieve what the author suggests - let alone cut it from "the stump" in a weak opposition as he later argues.

There are almost no "best interests" left for the coalition if the polls are anything to go by - they have a selection of worst case scenarios at best.

The country seems to think re-election is not in its best interests - and the coalition seems not to know where its own really lie.

There seems to be no willing challenger from within the party itself -and internally if Costello and his acolytes thought there really was half a chance of victory you would think they would run against JWH by now - maybe they did a month ago but then the polls sort of looked like they might turn - but now it is too late.

All the pronouncements from Abbot, Costello, Downer and Nelson et all together with their body language suggests they too have given up the ghost - Downer could in fact lose his seat as could Chrispoher Pyne - along with JWH.

Maybe it was hubris (much denied when they won both houses), selfishness, poor timing and judgement - probably a dash of each - but if the Coalition is decimated as the polls suggest - that particualr orpan will have only one father whose initials are JWH

As a gambling man, I see straight through all the hype and noise. I have never seen a team (or it's supporters), with the game safely in their keeping, giving advice to the other side on changing tactics; except that they fear they are about to be steamrolled and are trying to upset the possibility of the opponents refinding their form, by giving idiotic unhelpful advice. Am I wrong?

Calling for Howard to step aside is simply a desperate ploy from the ALP and it's fellow travellers. They fear the comeback kid, but not Costello. One tries to get the easiest draw possible, against the weakest opponent, when you want to win ANYTHING. And so it is in politics (look at the seats, for example, that High-Profile ALP recruits are placed in; well?). Howard is the lion...he's wounded, and appears cornered. Uh, oh. Danger, danger! Better we replace him with some unwounded pussycat or other, eh lads?

What's reinforced this impression of the ALP feeling vulnerable is that Mr Rudd himself has made numerous references to Howard going. Why would he do this since A) Mr Rudd's "sure" to win and B) Howard's going to lose his own seat as well, isn't he?. Just to help the Libs get over the trauma? Cause he wants Mr H to have a pleasant retirement?

Come on guys; get real. These machinations smell of anxiety. My advice; a nice pay-off by betting the outsider will soothe the shock of seeing the fav go under; bet now on the coalition.

Of course ! he must stay on as leader and go to the election.
I want to see the look on his face when he concedes defeat and receives his just deserts for exposing Australians to world terrorism through aligning us with the real terrorists....Bush,Cheney,Rumsfeld,Rove and the neocons.

I havent forgotten the children overboard and the tragedy of the 365 drowned Asylum seekers on the Siev X.

I haven't forgotten his Governments theft of poverty stricken East Timor's resources, nor his failure to stand up for principles when dealing with Indonesian lack of human rights in west Papua

I haven't forgotten his conspiracy with Chris Corrigan to create chaos on the waterfront or his draconian IR laws to cut workers working conditions or the racist invasion of Aboriginal communities under the pretext of saving the little children; His sell out to America in the one-sided Free Trade Agreement; nor his Government's poor memory on the Wheat deals with Saddam Hussein;

an ironic repeat of history when the West Australian Colebatch Government in 1916 continued to sell flour to the Germans in WW1..A memorial to Tom Edwards who died from injuries inflicted by police in an ensuing strike is erected in Fremantle.

Yes John Howard must stay..In another world he would be tried for crimes against humanity

jup

I think you should really take a fair dinkum look at Graham's record when he ran the elections in Queensland for the Liberals. It is not as you have painted. His tenure coincided with record levels of Federal liberal Parliamentarians and of course the election of the Borbidge National/Liberal government, which culminated with Tanti's election in Townsville among the highlights.

maracas

We will all be found guilty re crimes against humanity. Thankfully Jesus made a way for us to be pardoned if we so choose.