Thought for the day

It’s nearly a week since John Howard entered the political fray with two op-eds about the Howard legacy. Yet there’s barely been a stirt – from what I have seen, only Janet Albrechtsen has said much about it, and John Hewson’s writing has been getting more attention.
What is it with teh Left and not being [...]

Read Full Post »

Non-running commentary

John Winston Howard: Australia’s most reserved former Prime Minister.
To his credit, he shows good academic nous – getting two publications out of the one set of ideas by writing one about the past and one about the present.
To his discredit, he’s left the legacy project a little later than one typically would – but I [...]

Read Full Post »

I will say no more

No links; no pictures; just a few quick comments:

John Winston Howard – I’m glad you enjoyed the ceremony and the kind words your mate had for you. But when an unpopular lame duck gives a medal to a leader who lost his own seat, don’t be so foolish as to think it reflects the views [...]

Read Full Post »

Queue-jumper

President-Elect Barack Obama had asked to have the use of Blair House, the official guest-house of the President, when his family moved to Washington this week so that his girls could start school. Unfortunately, the place had already booked through to 15th January – when it is made available for the incoming President to inhabit [...]

Read Full Post »

Bizarro Awards

An expert panel made up of George Walker Bush has decided that John Winston Howard should be recognised for his “efforts to promote democracy, human rights and peace abroad.” Apparently, engaging in a military invasion counts as promoting peace abroad, and supporting another country’s use of torture enhanced interrogation techniques and long-term detention without charge, [...]

Read Full Post »

Obligatory anniversary post

It’s one year since Team Howard was extinguished. I’ve made it through the day without feeling the reflective urge. But I am sitting here watching The Howard Years and I have observed the one thing, above all others, that captures why I am glad they are no longer our Government. My observation, courtesy of Peter [...]

Read Full Post »

Clutching for a legacy

John Winston Howard now associates himself with Hawke and Keating:
During the course of his speech last night (twenty minutes, with no notes – “He’s still got it in him! He’s still sharp! No notes!” breathed my neighbour, admiringly) Howard made much of the resilience of the Australian economy.
He credited it to the “twenty-five years of [...]

Read Full Post »

Time to think

Peter Martin notes an important parallel between Keating and Obama, and the contrast with the How/Rudd model:
“You can’t micro manage a thing like the Commonwealth. And I noticed the other day that the US presidential candidate Obama was overheard with a microphone on with the British Opposition Leader saying in these jobs you must have [...]

Read Full Post »

Difficult to reconcile

Gerard Henderson now says:
Costello did not have more than 20 votes in the Liberal Party room which could be mustered to challenge the incumbent prime minister. Up until at least the eve of the Coalition’s defeat in November last year, a clear majority of Liberal parliamentarians believed they had a better chance of holding their [...]

Read Full Post »

I’ll put my hand up

Tim Dunlop asks:
Do you sometimes get the impression that Mr Howard never really thought much of Mr Costello?

Yes.

Read Full Post »