I'm disappointed to report that the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) fobbed off my concerns about a misleading Liberal flyer with some legalese worthy of

It is not often that I bother to read a book written by a journalist who has been noted for writing with a certain kind of political bias and frequent one-sidedness (what journalist does not?). So while I found this book to be really quite interesting, I can say that it was overly predictable and nor was the slant and evidence provided totally convincing.

Wentworth is on a knife edge. A large part of the blue ribbon electorate is grumpy with Malcolm Turnbull over his aggressive pre-selection tactics, and those who aren't too fussed about pre-selection tactics are concerned that a vote for Turnbull is a vote for Howard. With Peter King's decision to run as an independent, there is a real and growing chance that a seat held for 103 years by the Liberals will fall.

The four contenders for the seat are to meet on Monday night at an event organised by the Wilderness Society to discuss their respective position towards the continued felling of Tasmania's old Growth forests. It will be a good opportunity to meet the candidates and ask them some real questions about how they perceive the strength of our democracy...or not

What: Public meeting to meet the candidates for Wentworth and ask what they are doing to protect Tasmania's forests.
When: Monday 20th September 2004, 7pm FREE ENTRY
Where: Waverley Council Chamber

I love statements like that. Statements that are simply too outrageous to say in a public place without being considered a crank, yet utterly correct at the same time.

NHJ!er Dorothy forwarded me this letter, signed Geriatric Gran. Follow the link she recommends. It cites the conclusion of international legal authorities that the Iraq war was illegal and the perpetrators prosecutable, with links to source documents.

I didn't believe we should be involved in the war in Iraq, but felt powerless to prevent it happening. I walked, a short distance, to protest against the war in the belief that the government would heed the message that the majority of the people in Australia did not believe it was a 'Just War.'

We still joined 'The Coalition of the Willing,' and went to war.

Kofi Annan, on Wednesday, claimed the war breached the UN charter and the war was illegal. 'The Coalition of the Willing,' disagreed with his long held opinion and claimed the war was legal. We th

Just into your book and it's confirming everything I've been so depressed about over the last few years. Howard is the least conservative prime minister. He is dismantling every sensible convention and destroying public confidence in our public service by politicising. Every now and then he mentions Senate reform and this really concerns me. Yet my in-laws say he presents well! I have just joined The Greens but I think things are more desperate - I don't think that we can wait for The Greens to win enough support.

I am about to finish reading your book. I think it is very good. What really scares me is that a very substantial percentage of voters never realise what it's happening out there and if one tries to tell them they are not interested. With this situation happening in many countries around the world the prospects of changing things around are not great. Scary!.

Am just reading your book NHJ, and am transfixed. Absolutely cringe at the chapter on how our parliament was occupied by a foreign power for visit of GWB. Previous book I read was the Paul Burrell one which mentions visit of GWB to Buck Palace - they tried same act and Queen told them that if her security was good enough for her it was good enough for him. Why couldn't we have more pride? New Zealand would have!

For the first time ever, filmmakers from around Australia have joined forces to create a film canvassing key aspects of Australian life under the Howard Liberal government. The film will premiere on September 29th and screening nationally from 1-3 October, the weekend before the election. TIME TO GO JOHN is a compilation of fifteen short films documenting pivotal moments throughout Australia's recent local and international history, from the Iraq war to detention centres, the GST, anti-terrorism laws and reconciliation. Made by some of Australia's best filmmakers and presented by comedian Rod Quantock, the film promises to pack all the punches and encourage voters to think carefully about their choice at polling time.

I've noticed that the 'Liberal' Candidate for Ryan, Michael Johnson, has adopted Yellow as his campaign colours with his workers wearing yellow T-shirts and his posters using yellow as the surrounding colour. I thought that Yellow was the Democrats colour of choice. Why isn't Michael Johnston prepared to run under the usual 'Liberal' colours of Blue and White?

This is more a comment than a review. I read your book and got madder and madder with the conservative government, in fact with most of our pollies. It's a great book. I gnashed my teeth a fair bit.I also wept at times.Your suggestions have been noted, and I put the bumper sticker straight on the car. Thanks for the effort and the controlled rage.

Every one visiting NJH should also see www.endthelies.net and sign up the for rallies on 3 October 2004. Stand up; be counted. With new lies every day (today about caretaker government obligations) it is time to STOP THE LIES.

click here

If you're only paying half-hearted attention, you'd get the impression that we've all 'moved on' from Iraq, right? Sure, the recent Australian hostage fears and uncertainties have reminded us of the terrible dangers still being faced daily there by our contribution, but when was the last time you saw some serious media coverage of the 'big picture'? And especially a cold, hard examination of what the awful future might hold? Exactly. There's a good reason why, too.

Read what a bunch of retired senior US military heads are saying. Note this paragraph:

General Odom remarked that the tension between the Bush administration and the senior military officers over Iraqi was worse than any he has ever seen with any previous government, including Vietnam. 'I've never seen it so bad between the office of the secretary of defence and the military. There's a significant majority believing this is a disas

A few people from Jubilee Australia and the National Indigenous Ecumenical Peak body (NATSIEC) have been standing in Pitt St Mall, Sydney holding signs to let Sydney siders know we are 'not happy John'. We say in this election put human life before war; people before economic growth; mercy to those seeking refuge before

Not content with bludgeoning the leftish Greens and various centrist, NHJ!-style independents in the opening weeks of the campaign, Rupert Murdoch's Oz propaganda 'droids this morning demonstrate that they're just as capable of sneering loudly at rightish political players over whom they know they also wield zip proxy-power. Webdiary readers will remember how Tony Abbott's underhand and possibly-illegal 'Australians for Honest Politics Trust' role in jailing Pauline Hanson was helpfully 'explained away' in heroic 'civic-mindedness' terms by most of Rupert's senior political opinion writers - who then curiously went very quiet about 'the integrity of the electoral system' when it transpired that while Hanson was in fact innocent of any fraud, their beloved Saint Tony stank to potential AEC fraud heaven. Yes - Editorial, Kelly, Sheridan, Price, Shanahan, Milne...they just didn't wanna' know about To