According to my recollection, and confirmed by
http://australianpolitics.com/elections/dates/federal-election-outcomes.shtml
there were not Federal elections in either 1985 or 1988.

I wonder how much of the article is accurate.

Bertrand’s essay is a useful short description of Howard’s political biography, but it fails dismally as an analysis of the Howard legacy.

Terms like ‘political courage’ are strewn about uncritically when ‘political cunning’ or ‘whatever-it-takes-to-hold-office’ might be more accurate. The illegal invasion of Iraq ‘turned out to be a mistake’. A mistake? Pardon?

“Howard went on to win three more elections,” says Bertrand with no analysis of the circumstances of those wins. No Tampa, no children overboard, no 9/11, no security threat, no Iraq, no One Nation, no empty posturing on interest rates, no union bashing, no resources boom, no election bribes to middle Australia, no supine media.

It’s a dry argument in every sense to say that, “Arguably WorkChoices went too far in removing protections for the lowest paid workers.” Arguably? These low-paid workers are voters too as Stanley Bruce found out when that PM lost his seat.

The portrayal of opposition to Howard as the ‘special hatred’ of ‘the left’ is simplistic and clichéd. Howard’s policies created a broad range of opposition on a variety of issues (including within his own Party) and the image of ‘Howard Haters’ is as much a media image as Keating’s arrogance.

Bertrand misses a critical point about Howard’s intolerance. To gain power he publicly moderated his views about Asians; but at the end of his reign he had reverted to type with his abolition of multiculturalism at a time when his own seat of Bennelong saw an upsurge in voters of Asian heritage. Not smart enough, John.

Howard’s legacy? The muted eulogy by Bertrand omits reference to divisiveness such as the promotion of culture wars, the systematic placement of Liberal stooges to non-elected public office, the replacement of ‘political correctness’ by suppression of dissent and the corruption of public debate, the lowering of standards of public life, the endemic pork-barreling for cheap political advantage, the use of taxpayers' funds for Party political advertising, the erosion of civil rights in Australia and the debasement of Australia’s role in the United Nations and the belated mock discovery of Indigenous issues and climate change?

Frank, if you're going to talk about the circumstances of the wins, then I'm not sure how you can leave out the fact the majority of the population didn't want him back in 1998, after only 2 years. To win with only 49% of the vote was something of a statistical fluke.

"Howard was liked and respected by most Australians"? You must be joking. Even when his appeals to my self-interest resulted in my voting for him I despised him.

Mr Bertrand - are you on the level?
in addition to the many factual errors in this piece of nonsense, you neglect to mention the introduction of racism into Australian politics; the virtual torturing of hundreds of children in the various tropical hell-holes; the rapacious commandeering of commonwealth funds for party political purposes; the pandering to the 'american style' religious right and to the 'doyen' there of - ie George Bush; the religious interference in education; the reduction of the Australian workforce to beggerly status; the demonising of the Moslem community, again for political advantage;-- the list goes on.
As to the gun laws, change was well on the agenda prior to the Port Arthur massacre but nothing was done until that dreadful event took place. I would point out that Premier Barry Unsworth sacrficed his premiership trying to introduce gun control.

This is a very balanced and largely accurate article. However I believe Mr Howard was a "great" (not "fairly good") Prime Minister, and his government was "excellent" not merely "good".

baldpaul

You say that Mr Howard was a "great" (not "fairly good") Prime Minister, and his government was "excellent" not merely "good".

Mr Howard is only the second PM in Australian history to lose his seat and the swing against the Coalition was close to a record.

Would you care to share with us the reasons why you rate him and his government so highly?

dnicholson

Your point is valid. My oversight.

From a historical point of view, Howard, though successful, was yesterday's man, thus though aiming to look forward, was found eventually trying the tricks of the colonial days, but to do so, had to finish up breaking laws that were brought in and made legal to wipe out the tricks of the colonial days.

The Separation of Powers, for example was finally thrown out by Howard when he captured the Senate and abused the Arbitration Court bringing in his own legality to push through Work Choices.

When as as a historian, I complained, a man I had admired said to me - 'Oh, those laws are all in the past, matey, including hobnobbing with the Federal Reserve about Interest Rates.

Well, as regards Interest Rates, looks like George dubya is at the same game, ordering his Federal Reserve to hold down Interest Rates to protect battling families he should be helping with cash payments himself.

What's happening must be something to do with the new/old Corporate Culture with BHP-Billeton and even Wesfarmers with freedom now to match the monstrosities of the East India Companies.

In regards to most of the comments above, they are simply the views of leftists with a very jaundiced view of the Howard years.

They are obviously dissapointed that the article didn't talk more about the reasons they hate Howard. Well tough. Any fair and balanced account is going to talk about strengths and weaknesses. Sorry if that disapoints you folks.

Ironically, one comment above even accused the author of being simple and cliched in using the term 'Howard haters'. His own very simple and one-eyed account confirms this description completely.

Another person has falsely accused Howard of stifling political debate, and then reprimanded the author for not introducing opinions as fact.

Most of the comments above are simply absurd.

Mr.Bertrand, from what planet do you write from?
Howard got elected in 1995 through lying and fraudulently claiming to defend "the battler, the little man". This is after years of treachery and attacks from the Hawke, Keating and Beazley Labor governments; who came to power on the spurious claims that they "defended the poor" and there would be "no children in poverty." They carried out the greatest wholesale onslaight on jobs, wages, and conditions since the 1930s depression. As well, the attack on the social infrastructure hospitals, Medicare, schools, universities, childcare and so on. Lying and deceit are their stock in trade and not unknown factors. Then there is the criminal and homicidal Iraqi War to steal the oil. An invasion costing 1.2million Iraqi peoples lives and turning 4.5million people into homeless refugees - supported to the hilt by Labor and Liberal governments. As well, Howard boasting of wars in the Pacific that may last 30years. And all the attacks on jobs, wages and conditions contained through 'Work-Choices'.
Rudd now enters the fray promising 'big business' that he can go further than Work-Choices and inflict a series of major defeats on workers. Mr. Bertrand comes out of the same right wing school.

another raving lefty who can barely contain his anger at reading an article about Howard that dosen't bitterly and constantly attack him.

were's a website for you old chap: www.sa.org.au

go have fun

Well Afja, just who is raving? Tell us all that none of it is true, that none of it happened. Where is your objectivity and honesty?
I suppose the so-called Liberal and Labor governments have taken society forward? Tell us that these governments are not carrying out a wrecking operation on the social achievements of society and handing them over to the profiteers for a killing? Why don't they ever spell this out before they get elected? Why don't they mention before election day that they have both given assurances to Mr. Bush on his recent trip, that they will support another colonial incursion for oil, this time into Iran? Why don't they mention that they have troops on the Iran border and either one or two warships in the Persian Gulf? Why don't Labor and Liberal ever give an accounting of how they took this country to war based on conscious deceptive lies about non existing weapons of mass destruction? And that somehow bombing people in Iraq was about bringing these people deocracy?

Sycophantic in the extreme!

Yep Howard was so great that hardly anyone can remember his name and even less people could care less.

He was a grasping, vicious, racist, self-serving, back stabbing liar and war criminal.

AJFA my thanks! you finally came back from whatever place you hide on election night.
This constant rubbish about leftists ignores the fact you are from the extreme right.
Put your views about the election and mine together the views we put here in print, but it seems I understood the voters far more than you.
You may find I am no leftist, history will have a different view than the author, Howard lost his seat, government, and the fact his cabinet will play little part in his party shouts at us.
For months I warned Howard did not own the voters , he had long ago betrayed them and many times.
The long battle to rebuild conservative party's will craft a far different view of Howard than you.
Why do you think us Lefty's, strange way to talk about former Liberal voters who unseated your mob, are jealous?
Thanks for you display of pain ,lack of understanding, and refusal to see voters thought far different than you.
Sunday in the lodge? no for John every day for months to come must be hell, a reminder he made his battlers into Kevin 07 fans.

I think that if you had to select one event that occurred during Howard's period as Prime Minister for which he will be fondly remembered, it would have to be the Tampa affair.

I cannot remember any other political event in my life where the government acted with more support from the overwhelming majority of the people. I also cannot remember an event where the strongest supporters of the government came from the Labor Party's heartland.

The only other event that comes close to it was the Petrov affair, and the events surrounding Mrs Petrov's decision to remain in Australia. However this event did not have the distinguishing aspect of support in the opposition's heartland.

I am fully aware that there are many people who strongly opposed Howard's actions over Tampa, and who felt that in this case the government should act other than in accordance with the wishes of the majority. Fortunately we live in a democracy.

At the beginning of a new century that will be marred by a massive population explosion in the third world, where there will be many millions of economic and other refugees that are vastly more than Australia can cope with, the statement that unlike Europe we will not permit ourselves to be overwhelmed by this tide of people, and will decide who comes to this country and the circumstances in which they come, was one of the most strongly supported of those made by any government.

It has ensured that our refugee program, in which we have for 60 years selected refugees for settlement in Australia, has remained an outstanding success story.

John Howard will be fondly remembered by me and many others.

plerdsus: "I think that if you had to select one event that occurred during Howard's period as Prime Minister for which he will be fondly remembered, it would have to be the Tampa affair"

Indeed. However, for many of us that sorry and cynical affair encapsulated everything that was wrong with that odious, xenophobic, mean-spirited, war-mongering, sanctimonious toad Howard.

I used to be embarrassed to be a Queenslander when Joh was Premier, and I was similarly embarrassed to be an Australian with Howard as PM. While Rudd is far from perfect, at least he isn't embarrassing.

Mr Howard was gracious in victory and gracious in defeat. I doubt whether you will hear the bile that the embittered Mr Whitlam, Mr Fraser and Mr Keating seem to be taking to their graves.

CJ Morgan,

And so you should be embarrassed - on your own behalf. Don't blame others for your self-loathing.

When the ALP get over the novelty of being in charge and the mistakes begin to home in,I predict every failing of this new government will be blamed on "Howard's Fault"
John Howard had the greatest difficulty of trying to get hostile state governments to cooperate.It was an uphill battle all the way.
History will show that he was the best, the most progressive PM Australia ever had.
He made mistakes,big ones, but nothing in comparison to what we are about to face now that he is no longer our leader.
Be prepared.

mickijo

I hate to be a nuisance, but three quick questions of clarification please.

1. Could you give OLO readers a sample of what you had in mind when you declared that history will show that John Howard was 'the best, the most progressive PM Australia ever had'?

2. What would you count as his 'mistakes, big ones'?

3. What do you predict will be the big mistakes that the new Rudd Government will make?

John Howard was the best Prime Minister we will see for a long time to come.His economic track record bears witness to the reality and his detractors will never take that from him.

With IR reform they were looking at the reality of Australia bleeding to death as our balance of payments deficit blossoms to $560 billion or nearly $56,000.00 for every working family.We have all these cheap imported products and even with record sales of resources our deficit grows.The chickens will eventually come home to roost.We either have to increase tarrifs or lower wages and increase productivity to pay our way.

Kevin Rudd is all hype on the environment and signing a symbolic Kyoto,but will not mention exports or the need to keep industry here.

Kevin Rudd can lose the next election with less than a 3% swing.With fewer than 12,000 people across 9 electorates dumping the Coalition,the next election will be very close.See todays Australian.

I hope the Coalition get their act together soon,since going all wet and weak,will not be good for any of us.

Rubbish. Howard's legacy will be divisiveness, lies, scare tactics, wedges and erosion of democracy.

ohncee1945 - yes you are ranting. If you can't see that then you are the only one.

Belly - I have not hidden at all since the federal election. Glad I'm back, to promote 'hard right' views.

History will (among other things) see Howard as a winner in the area of IR. His viewpoint has been consistent since the '70's, and it is the ALP that has moved right, and is as 'right' as anything a '70's or early 80's Lib. dreamt of.

Ditto with the economic changes made throughout the '80's and 90's. Howard will be seen as a proponent of some of the changes, and as a supporter of most, while in opposition. (It will be recorded that it was the ALP who lead the charge on large scale privatisation of Public resources in Australia).

Would love to hear exactly how Howard stifled the voices of any of those here on OLO who dared to think differently. Thought not.

"I think that if you had to select one event that occurred during Howard's period as Prime Minister for which he will be fondly remembered, it would have to be the Tampa affair." plerdsus.

Fondly remembered, by whom, the right wing and their consistent attempts to undermine basic democratic rights? I would like to quote a writer Michael Head here.
quote: A Federal Court judge ruled that the Australian government illegally detained and denied entry to the refugees aboard the Norwegian cargo ship, the Tampa. Justice Tony North found the government had determined “at the highest level” to “use an unlawful process to detain and expel the rescuees”.
Both the ruling and the Howard government’s response to it have underscored just how far the government is prepared to go in flouting the most fundamental democratic rights, including freedom from arbitrary detention and access to the courts to challenge executive power.
North ruled that the cabinet had breached one of the most basic legal principles, dating back hundreds of years, that no person, whether a citizen or non-citizen, can be held in detention without lawful authority. In granting a writ of habeas corpus for the immediate release of the refugees, he declared: “An ancient power of the Court is to protect people against detention without lawful authority.”
It appears that the government is deliberately keeping the Manoora’s passengers isolated from the outside world so that they have no means of knowing that the Federal Court has upheld their rights.

North rejected the government’s central assertion—that it should be allowed to operate above the law. In North’s words, the government “contended that the Court should not stand in the way of the exercise by the Executive of its attempt to protect the borders of Australia”.
He cited a previous High Court judgment declaring that to allow a government to detain people without trial or clear statutory power would undermine “the very fabric of freedom under the law” and represent “tyranny”. End of quote

Leigh: "And so you should be embarrassed - on your own behalf. Don't blame others for your self-loathing."

Can't you read? I said I was embarrassed by Joh and Howard, not by myself. While I certainly loathe the ideologies and governmental practices of those political travesties, why on Earth would you suggest I loathe myself?

Actually, I quite like myself these days. Anybody who actually knew me might suggest I do so to excess :)

It seems that poor old Leigh is not only deficient in his arithmetic abilities, but also in his reading comprehension.

The thread fills me with rare Sunday joy! Howard legacy is in the ashes of his party, the removal of much he claimed to be achievements in the next ten years.
To find ideas of just what he did wrong we will need to go no further than his own party.
His major impact on our future, it may well be that he gave us a man well on the way to being this country's second longest serving Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
Any truly think this is a one term government? truly?
What is that song? by by by by Johny good by.
Want to come shopping with me this morning? now and again it is great fun on Sunday watching Mark Vail swap isle so he will not have to see my union shirt.
Wonder what Mark thinks about John?

Yes, johncee, he'll be remembered for Tampa, for bringing rednecks, complete with zenophobia, intolerance, hatred into the mainstream from the lunatic fringe. From accepting and encouraging lunatic fringe religious fanatics, rednecks again. For total lack of accountablility in government. For his attempt to totally destroy the 'fair go', egaliatarianism and humanitarianism, ahd his insidious but constant erosion of natural justice and personal rights.

Fortunately the Australian public finally woke up and voted the dunny rat out, just in time. As you said Belly, the Libs, especially the radical right NSW Libs are determined to continue in the same destructive path which got them beaten and will continue to destroy the Libs and their fascist-type rednecks. Thank God!

"There has been an orgy of this emotional garbage – a stomach-turning issuing of sentiment about the man who single-handedly turned Australia into a nation of money-grubbing wannabes, and who alone removed ethical and responsible behaviour from our Parliament. That anyone at all could express one word of regret at the political demise of Howard, proven beyond any doubt to be a liar of gasp-making proportions, is to me amazing" is part of an e-mail I wrote to a most respected journalist (a REAL one) the day after Rudd won the election. I wrote it because I was dismayed to find some ABC frontmen giving out the "no matter that he's lost, you have to hand it to him" line - probably ditto from other channels but I watch only the ABC because it's good and because I detest commercials beyond description. Can't say how marvellous it was to hear PM Rudd's requirements of his Ministry re their collective and individual responsibilities. Am sufficiently starry-eyed after seeing Howard electorally killed stone dead to believe in our new Government - why not?!

CJ, you are the one with the reading disability. I know what you said. I said that you SHOULD be embarrassed on your own account, not embarrassed by the actions of others over whom you have no control.

I will own up to my arithmetical error - I added a few to many zeros -something I don't think we'll ever find you doing (admitting a mistake) because you are convinced that you are right about everything. How long will it take you to forgive me for my mistake?

Being embarrassed by someone else, and being 'ashamed to be Australian' just because of our politicians or some policy or other the 'embarrassee" or the "ashamed whinger" doesn't like, is pretty pathetic, and is it is part of the self-loathing package.

Self-loathing, like many ailments, is not always apparent to the suffer. You certainly have it, old fellow. Space doesn't permit me to describe your condition; Wikipedia has a simple, layman's description of it if you can bear to have a look.

While I was very proud of Howard's handling of the Tampa (will it never be let rest) incident, I totally agree with your opinion
of Joh who was, I think, the very lowest of low animal life. I did not feel any embarrassment, though.

You will probably enjoy a remission of your self-loathing now that you have a young, fresh ALP Government to heap praise on. Enjoy it while you can. I hope you won't be too broken up when they show their true colours.

Actually Leigh, you're wrong. I felt embarrassment as a Queenslander when Joh was Premier and as an Australian when Howard was PM because I was a member of the electorates that repeatedly returned them to power. The occasions upon which I felt that sense of embarrassment were when I travelled interstate or overseas and people would make comments that were critical of the reprehensible actions and policies of those governments.

It was like being embarrassed at having an uncle who is a racist, uncouth oaf, or a cousin who expresses hateful ideas like yours. One isn't responsible for them but one is tainted by association.

You say I SHOULD be embarrassed on my own account, but you don't say what for. I don't make glaring arithmetic errors, nor do I post hateful rants, such as when you asserted that an entire generation of Australians should have been smothered at birth.

I also reject your accusation of self-loathing. In general, I quite like myself and my country. Out of interest, I looked up the Wikipedia entry that you suggested - and I note that it says that such accusations "are often used as an ad hominem attack".

That would be consistent with comments from someone who almost never posts anything positive or containing any substantive argument. Usually when I read your posts I'm reminded of the Victor Meldrew character from the BBC comedy "One Foot in the Grave".

I don't like to think where the other foot is.

Belly, you might be right. But here's a scenario for you.

Rudd exploited a sense of unease in Aus with things economic and emphasised the worst of our economy. He created expectations that he would do something about petrol, food and housing costs and that rising interest rates were 'somehow' Howards fault.

Were he to be seen to be ineffectual on these issues and an opposition exploit this he could be in trouble.

Or another one Belly. There is a modest wages breakout in sectors suffering skills shortages, followed by a couple more interest rate rises to cool things down. All it takes is 2 or 3 in a hundred to change their minds next time.

Or (just for my own amusement); Rudd believes,as so many of his supporters insisted recently that visiting strip clubs whilst OS as our representative and drinking to the point where his memory fails is acceptable behaviour.....just joking

I do not think your view of why Howard lost is even near true.
And without doubt your idea of how Rudd will go is wrong.
Still to find blindness and failure to understand the defeat is still the way most conservatives handle it is rewarding.
Months yes months before that great day, was it only two weeks yesterday?
I told of the result and the way the loss would be handled, not very well.
Keys to remember Crean reborn though he may be was no leader, Latham the product of Creans spite was not either.
Howard in beating them got no racing form a sprinter flogging a stayer over a sprint trip.
Howard was unloved but the best of two poor choices.
That last term was even worse than the Tampa one!
A list would be endless short bottom Johny ran away from his voters his party and reality.
And he put in the saddle a man who will never do that, the ALP is not giving own goals away.
Right now if the next election is not a double dissolution the result will be a swing to Labor of no less than 2%
If refusal to understand the electorate brings both house to a full election? 5% to Labor and both house in ALP hands.
America will by next years end reject its governing party and the world will have swung away from super conservative governments.
NSW Liberal right? not long to rule maybe this state after that starts swing back to conservatives after all even I do not think I could vote for this rabble or leader again.

CJ Morgan,

What a surprise! I'm still wrong and you, as always, are completely right. Jolly good luck to you. It must be so good to be you.

You deny your self-loathing. You deny that you have any reason to be embarrassed. No matter what anyone who disagrees with you says, you will continue to believe that you are right and they are wrong.

I give in. You win. I'm a complete arsehole, and you are Mr. Wonderful. Satisfied?

Where would you like the prize sent?

gosh, just joining in this forum I am reading of the same Dark Cloud that surely has lifted

Let us all rejoice that Howard is no more and be a little lighter hearted, starting with http://www.ridrodent.com

as it says:

Like move over Andy Warhol [and Pro Hart], this is not just Pop Art but Pop Art with a Neo Con PC attitude, going forward

Leigh and plersdus are two of the deluded creatures who think the TAMPA was a good thing that maintained our refugee program when nothing could be further from the truth. Howard's stupid plan broke the law, destroyed lives, perverted the government's of Pacific countries and breached their constitutions and cost stupid clowns like you $3 billion to implement here and there.

98% of the asylum seekers are here as permanent residents now and most of them are already citizens. I don't know how many times you two need to be told that our refugee program is a sick and expensive hoax but I will wade once more into the fray.

It is voluntary, it is nothing to do with the refugee convention and almost none of the people brought to Australia were refugees in the first place as they had been quite safe for as long as 20 years in third or fourth nations under the protection of other governments. According to the convention we stupid mugs pay to have them jump the non-existent queue.

The TAMPA was just one symbol of the cruel and deranged policies Howard ran and should be condemned instead of applauded by you two twits.

Belly, you may be right OK? But then you just never know. Perceptions of Howard went from master pollie to feather duster in no time flat. I'll suggest it again as a possible scenario: what if even a moderate wage breakout leads to more interest rate rises leads to an increase in unemployment of even 2%?

Maybe the Libs. will implode, or maybe the perceptions we're being fed in the media about this are wrong? Just as they were about Costello? I can claim bragging rights on that score as I've been saying for years that Pete just didn't really want the top job, as his half-@rsed attempt last year demonstrated.

Then again Belly, parties have been known to get elected saying one thing, and once elected do something else altogether. Fraser was a champion at this , but was easily bettered by the 180 degree turn around by Hawkie in such things as economic Liberalism and privatisation. We'll see how Kev stacks up in good time.

"Forward with Fairness" otherwise known as WorkChoices Lite is arguably further to the right than Howards IR position in 1996, and way to the right of a Libs. dreams in the late '70's. I'll say it again, Howard will be seen as the hands down winner in this area in 10 years time.

Leigh: "I'm a complete arsehole"

For once I agree completely with you, although I probably wouldn't have used that terminology in public :)

Well he'll be arriving(not) at the 'pearly gates' with much blood on his hands - that's for sure.

He doesn't understand anything at all about the story of Christ. If he had he certainly wouldn't have been so willing to join the coalition of the killing. He's the kind of person that makes me feel ashamed to be human.

Marilyn Shepherd and CJ Morgan. The voices of the ALP.The True Believers!
You couldn't invent such a duo, no brain could manage such a feat.But how well they fit together, a perfect match.

mickijo

That's such a brilliant rejoinder. I bet it took you the whole weekend to 'think' it up.

Now moving right along...

Hah, here's the best

http://www.familyktab.com/fnqpanoramas/rodent/

have a larf and rejoice - I have had to buy Woolies out of Rat Traps, such is the demand

Thank you for your kind words frankgol, I would suggest that C J and Marilyn adopt you or you could make it a menage a trois.
You are all so poisonous, you would make an unbelievable family.
You three are a sign of the times to come. God help us all.

mickijo,

Are you the same mickijo who on Saturday, 8 December 2007 was asked three quick questions to clarify your adulation of the lamented John Howard?

1. Could you give OLO readers a sample of what you had in mind when you declared that history will show that John Howard was 'the best, the most progressive PM Australia ever had'?

2. What would you count as his 'mistakes, big ones'?

3. What do you predict will be the big mistakes that the new Rudd Government will make?

Are you the same mickijo who has failed to answer these three simple questions? Too busy with the trivial pursuit of insults to get up answers? Or are you unable to provide answers?

frankgol, I do not obey the orders of any trolls.I state my beliefs, my honest beliefs as do most of genuine posters here.
The family of trolls, as stated, are not genuine, they simply infest forums like this to spread their poisonous little insecure personalities because this gives them a false sense of importance.
Now does that answer your request?

mickijo

I take that deflection to mean you haven't a clue how to answer these simple questions.