The Wizard of Woz

Howard

What a load of self indulgent rubbish. Back up your post with some hard facts. Have you been in Australia for the election? Do you know the issues here? When will the bombs go start to go off? Today, tomorrow? Get real. You demean yourself by publishing a post like this which is an insult to the democratic process.

N. Simon

Howard, at least when John Howard was PM there was democracy. If the Rudd leadership does to Australia what this Labour government has done to ours, you can kiss goodbye to any semblance of democracy.

Lee Jakeman

This post is not an "insult to the democratic process". It is a tribute to a man of principle - John Howard. I wish there were more leaders like him. The key word here is "leader" - Howard LED Australia and didn't allow himself to be led BY Australia - i.e. he didn't follow the trendy set. When the trendy set are an unpleasant memory in that great country, John Howard will be still be remembered with affection.

korova

"Whatever now happens, the fact that he ran on a platform of pulling troops out of Iraq and endorsing the ludicrous scam of man-made global warming are enough in themselves to tell the jihadis that Australia has now lost its (one-man) nerve. Australia just made itself (and the rest of us) a whole lot less safe." Utter nonsense. I suppose this is what you define as 'reason'. He ran on that platform and won. What does that tell you about public opinion in Australia? Furthermore, as the other commenter rightly points out, what is this obsession on the right of claiming that any election that doesn't go the way you wish is in some way putting the whole world at risk? This same lie was perpetuated about Spain, whilst the underlying reasons for that election defeat were brushed under the carpet. As Howard says, this is an insult to democracy and reveals your utter contempt for the democratic process.

Tiberius

Howard: haven't the bombs already started going off? (Bali, London, Madrid, and the flying bombs of 9/11.) Are you not familiar with Islamist literature or internet content? Perhaps planet complacency ought to agitate.

Chris

As an Antipodean I can say that Melanie has summarised the situation quite nicely. The only exception I take is with mass immigration, which Howard raised to unprecedented levels. Ironic that the Asians who played a significant part in apparently ousting Howard from his own electorate were probably brought in by his administration.

David M.

Howard, you have just very helpfully proved Melanie's point about "New" Labour down under operating the same way as it does here. i.e. Dare to utter an opinion that is considered 'off message' and you will be castigated, vilified or subject to character assassination. As the great Yogi Berra once put it, "This is like déjà vu all over again."

julie

Absolutely! As an Australian, I am distraught. All of what you say is true, and more. The economy is in great shape, unemployment the lowest in 30 years. John Howard and his government have done a wonderful job for the Australian people, and most of us appreciate it. The feeling has not been one of anger towards Howard, but more of a false sense of security, that we are in good shape so we will stay in good shape no matter who is in power. There is also a whimsical attitude, that people thought they would have a change, and Kevin Rudd seems to be similar to John Howard. He has spent the campaign selling himself as a Howard clone. I fear we will all pay dearly for the whims and ingrattitude of those so blind they cannot see. A mutiny may also be brewing.

Bogdan of Australia

Of course, Kevin Rudd can keep pretending that he is the man of the "center", which certainly, he isn't. He is just a leftie koyote dressed in sheep's clothes. But look at the individuals that are surrounding him. That speaks much more than Kevin's own statements. Julia Gillard, Peter Garret, just to name two of them, are much more extremist than the members of former Labour PMs, Bob Hawke,s and Paul Ketaing's administrations. Still one has to remeber how much damage those two have done to Australian economy and the Australian way of life in general. The result of the latest elections is a very sinister harbinger of the future...

Tyga

You have hit the nail on the head, Melanie. Howard was a strong leader and will be missed. Sadly, no matter what he has done or said he would do, the electorate no longer cared nor wished to listen. Instead they listened to a man who told them what they wanted to hear, even if it were opposite opinions to different sections of the community. It is going to be a long 3 years.

Michael Petek

Dhimmi kangaroo down, sport!

Geoff Miller

It will all end badly but at least we have the satisfaction of knowing that when the Islamists take over it will be the liberals who get their throats cut first. .....And they shouldn't expect any help from those of us they have sold down the river.

Simone of Oz

Don't blame me - I didn't vote for Rudd. The role the media had to play in Howard's demise cannot be overstated. Rudd was not subjected to any meaningful scrutiny by the press, whilst the blowtorch was applied to Howard regularly and repeatedly. Most people voting think Kyoto is a kind of sushi, which tells you a little about how well informed the electorate is.

Bruce

What's the definition of an 'Islamist' anyway? But reassuring to see that our Australian friends have seen sense, and voted Bush's stooge out. Good riddance.

Priscilla Playford

As always, Melanie Phillips talks a lot of sense.. we wait and can only hope Australia doesn't turn into the Labour mess that we have here - where every department is a shambles.

Jordan

Another case of voter Ignorance, we all know this. Howard was the only sensible choice, he was a leader, a strong leader across the board. I agree 100% with this article, Kevin Rudd is just random and sketchy.

James Murphy

Democracy = Reality TV. writ large! - Didn't Plato prophesy this in the Republic? PS. Does anyone know of a cheap Elysian Isle whither we few remaining sane souls can decamp? Yes, I know it's escapist and we wouldn't have much to live on, but we can take the principles of beauty and truth with us.

Sydney Bruce

I voted for Howard, but he was going to retire soon. The Liberal former PM-in-waiting, Costello, says they need a 'generational change' - I think he is a Gordon Brown type. Turnbull, the most promising hopeful Liberal leader, is all about 'carbon footprints'. The unhappy truth, Melamie, is that we were heading down the appease-stupidity road no matter who won, once Mr Howard retired.

Barrie

From Adelaide I can back up nearly every comment of yours, Melanie. A small point though -Rudd declares he is very pro-US and carefully said he would only pull out SOME of the Oz forces, slowly, and in 'close consultation'. He's probably realising that if he 'goes slowly', he can take the credit for the likely success in Iraq, which war he spent the last two years rubbishing as Opposition Foreign Affairs' spokesman. So even here Rudd played Me-Too with Howard and won as the Not Howard.

B. Wilson

I would suggest that labor didn't really win on 'domestic issues'. AFAICT they won on 'the other mob have been in for too long.'

Mark from Sydney

Spot on Melanie, Howard was a bonza. On the positive side (we have to think positively) Kevin Rudd will find it pretty difficult to unravel all Howard's reforms - even if he wants to. Among his many great campaigns was what has come to be called "The History War". This is still going on but it is unlikely that was has been called the "black armband" view of history" will ever prevail again.

Michael Calwell

Howard was a light shining in the darkness, a man of the people and for them, strong and fearless. He knew what Western Civilisation is up against. Sadly, as this election demonstrated, it's biggest enemy it itself.