We need leaders like this!

[marco polo]

Just wondering what the majority of Australians think of Prime

Minister John Howard? I think this country could use a leader like

him with a full set of cajones;-)

[El Presidente]

One of our members knows him well on a personal level. He has always said that he is a humble, decent man who wants to do the right thing for Australia and Australians.

He will be lucky to remain Prime Minister after our elections in 8 weeks. The Iraq war and a heavy handed (some say) Industrial Relations policy will take their toll at the ballot box.

He has been Prime Minister for 10 years. His major achievements have been:

* Full employment.

* 10 years of economic growth. This country really hasn't seen better economic times.

* Continued transformation of the business sector which outside of manufacturing is as lean and productive as the best in the world.

* Successfull elimination of domestic weapons through a Government buy back. Agree or disagree but Australia is a better place for it.

* Successful Implementation of a GST and the elimination of many other taxes and duties.

* Continued lowering of Corporate and personal taxation rates.

* Paid off the 96 Billion dollar Federal debt left by the previous government.

* 9 consecutive government Budget surpluses including the last which was the biggest in our history.

* Conservatism, anti politically correct.

* Economic engagement with China and the greater Asia Pacific.

His major weaknesses have been:

* A too stringent ideology on Industrial relations policy. Many see it as a strength however its application has not been as fair or balanced as it could have been.

* Age. He is now in 66 from memory and many deem it as time for a younger leader.

[Ken Gargett]

» Just wondering what the majority of Australians think of Prime

»

» Minister John Howard? I think this country could use a leader like

»

» him with a full set of cajones;-)

i would never trust any politician on any side. yet to find one who did not go into it because of an over-inflated ego, misplaced self-confidence or self interest and howard no worse than most. been around a long time and i think voters feel time for a change. the govt should have put costello in to give him a chance and i think they may have had a chance of surviving. unlikely now.

rudd is a smug, pompous bureaucrat surrounded by slobbering swine who can't wait to get their noses in the trough. that said, some of the govt's ministers would strike fear into dracula. downer comes across as even more smug than rudd and completely out of touch (apparently he has a genuinely nice mother but that isn't worth a vote) and if tony abbott ever becomes PM then i'm off to nz waving an all black jersey. i'd trust bin laden more than i'd trust abbott.

[smokum]

Wow...with all that he has done...it MUST be time to replace him so it can get all fukked up again. Sounds like the U.S. When will people look around and see when they have it good.

[mgillett]

I hear you Smokum.

Voters are not logical beasts. This country has never been in greater shape and it appears as though the Government that got us here (after some pretty poor times in the early 90s) is going to be voted out because "it is time for a change". What a bullshit reason to swing your vote.

[JMH]

He has been a very good economic leader, but a bit too conservative on some issues for my liking. Rob, why would you list conservatism as one of his major achievements? I'm with ken, there are very few politicians that I trust.

[Ken Gargett]

the Government that got us here (after some

» pretty poor times in the early 90s) is going to be voted out because "it is

» time for a change". What a bullshit reason to swing your vote.

but doesn't it just sum up how braindead the vast majority of humanity is. anybody that stupid shouldn't be allowed to vote. fine if you have a legit reason but to vote one mob out because, no matter whether they have done well or not, they've been there for a while. just occasionally, one almost feels that a benelovent dictator might be the way to go. not that there is any such thing.

[El Presidente]

Rob, why would you list conservatism as one of his

major achievements?

I look at 15 years of liberalism of particularly Holland and France and see countries that in many ways no longer recognise themselves. I speak here only from first case accounts of family (Wifes family is Dutch , I have relatives living in France).

Dutch schools that do not teach in Dutch. Rampant problems of immigration and assimilation where assimilation is not even part of the government agenda.

These countries are now trying to reel in the excesses of liberalism but in many ways the damage (in particular immigration) is done.

Lets not forget the UK Shia's and their Mosque's, the 2000,000 illegal immigrants in Spain where complete districts are now islamasized.

*** marriage with the right to adopt children, Invitro for Lesbians etc etc.

I am not a John Howard flag waver. I do believe in the tenet of move forward cautiously. He has been perhaps more cautious than I would like in many areas however those areas can be accelerated. It is almost impossible to reverse large scale social change or engineering when the blue sky utopia of the left wing advisors turns out to be a tornado cutting a path through the fibres of society.

[JMH]

I agree that a cautious approach is best, my issue is mainly with religious restrictions on scientific research, like stem cell research.

[El Presidente]

» I agree that a cautious approach is best, my issue is mainly with religious

» restrictions on scientific research, like stem cell research.

I don't disagree with you. However he knows full well that the churches would crucify him. The Family First Party would not preference him and that to support it would require siding with the Greens and Democrats....not his natural constituency.

Unless I don't remember correctly, It was liberal senator Kay Patterson who proposed the Stem Cell Legislation which was passed on a conscience vote in the parliament in December 2006. Both John Howard and Kevin Rudd spoke against it.

It was a good political play. Speak against it but allow a conscience vote knowing it will pass. Lock your opposition leader into a position supporting your stance. Look religiously strong but pragmatic while appeasing members of your side of politics with a free conscience vote.

[smokum]

» Dutch schools that do not teach in Dutch. Rampant problems of immigration

» and assimilation where assimilation is not even part of the government

» agenda.

»

» These countries are now trying to reel in the excesses of liberalism but

» in many ways the damage (in particular immigration) is done.

»

» Lets not forget the UK Shia's and their Mosque's, the 2000,000 illegal

» immigrants in Spain where complete districts are now islamasized.

»

» *** marriage with the right to adopt children, Invitro for Lesbians etc

» etc.

»

» I am not a John Howard flag waver. I do believe in the tenet of move

» forward cautiously. He has been perhaps more cautious than I would like in

» many areas however those areas can be accelerated. It is almost impossible

» to reverse large scale social change or engineering when the blue sky

» utopia of the left wing advisors turns out to be a tornado cutting a path

» through the fibres of society.

Rob..I think you meant the USA on this right ?