The John Valder interview onlast week's Sunday program was very revealing. The idea (beautifully articulated by Renata Kaldor), that for otherwise generally conservative voters, any risk to the economy by a Latham Labour Government was, at least in the short term, a worthy alternative to the social disruption of a return of Howard, was a winner. My guess is there are lots of people who feel this way, and need this idea to be seeded and made an acceptable and responsible option.

This festering Howard boil of dishonesty, public information manipulation, and fear-mongering abuse of human rights is not going to go away. It would be a pity if those voters not in the {Valder campaign} targeted seats felt they were stuck with their fears and uncertainties. They need to be helped come to terms with the idea of 'anyone but Howard', and helped to understand they are acting in the true cause of liberalism and comfortable with the idea that rather than abandoning their political lo

The Sydney Morning Herald's right-wing columnist, Miranda Devine (whose email address, [email protected], really sums up her attitude) today takes aim at the so-called Howard haters and kindly even mentions NHJ!

'Hating John Howard has become an industry', she begins, then deems it irrelevant if Howard and his ilk lied about children overboard, or any other major issue, for that matter. Power at any cost. Media cheerleaders are so transparently supportive, it's pathetic.

Meanwhile, Liberal Senator George Brandis will be supporting Howard till the end. Speaking on ABC's Lateline last night, it was almost tragic to see a democratically elected representative defending a position which is becoming more convoluted by the day.

'The prime minister's version of these conversations has been consistent from the start

I have discovered that, despite my passion and intention to try and make a difference, I am not able to nominate for election to the Senate as I was, earlier this year, granted Naturalisation in the United Kingdom and therefore hold Dual Nationality.

Looking at the AEC website this is listed as one of the exclusions under the Constitution, Clause 44, that bar nomination for public office.

Section 17 of the Australian Citizenship Act (1948) was repealed as it meant citizens without Dual Nationality 'by birth' automatically lost their Australian Citizenship if they took nationality of another country. The argument around the repeal of this section was that there were around 2.5m Australians already holding Dual Nationality by birth. Since this section was repealed a record number of Australians resident in the UK have applied for, and been granted, Dual Nationality.

As a result more than 10% of the Australian population is barred from the House of Representatives and

Pastel green ex-local councillor and now Independent candidate to boot Tampa Phil Ruddock out of Berowra, Matthew Benson, drops by to call for policy input and invite all to check out his campaign website. Well worth a good browse if you live in this 'Very Safe Liberal' seat and you're fed-up with Ruddock being treated like an Australian National Treasure by JWH and his right-wing chums, simply for playing base-instinct button-presser-in-chief throughout the 'Border Protection' beat-up.

Older smaller-l Libs in Berowra might remember the days when the Liberal Party actually felt compassion for refugees, having been the ones to blow away White Australia and set in train the new accord that bequeathed Oz politics a few brief decades of
10.30am, August 24th (that's next Tuesday)
Eastwood Masonic Hall
186 Rowe St, Eastwood (Western end of Rowe St Plaza)

I am so heartened by the fact that some people like Andrew Wilkie with WMD, and these latest public servants making comments about 'children overboard' claims, are coming forward and speaking up. There is a principle at the heart of this which is that no government should require anyone to do that which is immoral or to allow governments to propogate lies when they know the truth.

There must be many public servants, officials and contractors who would be able to tell us about the truth of WMD and when the government actually took the decision to go to war in Iraq. Who funded and trained waterside workers in Dubai and what the government knew about it? What legal advice they were given about the war in Iraq? About the Tampa, the ship with asylum seekers that sunk? And the treatment of Hicks and Habib. There is much else that others must know about the lies and deceptions.

There are some of you who are in the 'know' and who should say what you know. If it becomes mor

It was with a deepening sense of gloom and depression that I read your book Margo. I hasten to add that this was not reflective of the treatment of the subject matter or the quality of your writing, rather it was for the reason that is obvious from the title of my review.

I fear that only people like myself and others of a similarly 'liberal' persuasion would bother to read it and thus would not be aware of the fact that their democracy is being corrupted by those who profess to be its most ardent practitoners.

Although I was heartened to read articles from those who are from the 'right', I am yet to be convinced that those voters who do not take a strong interest in the electoral process can be mobilised against the party machines at work.

I fear that the level of effective public debate is such that if anything, the government's appalling actions will be put under the category of: 'They're politicians...what do you expect?'

Not Happy John In February 2003 our family set out on a days adventure for something we felt very strongly about - Australia joining forces to invade a country for NO PROVEN REASON !! Complete with back packs, water bottles and signs laboured over by 8 and 10 year olds we joined the mass of humanity accumulating in Hyde Park. We laughed, sang and chatted with people from every part of Sydney and beyond. We stood patiently in the crush and were overjoyed that there were so many people we couldnt physically march. We went home tired, footsore and hungry but elated that Australians had got off their arses and shown how they felt. It didnt last very long - in a blatant show of sheer arrogance I heard us referred to as 'a mob' we were not seen as the democratic voice of Australia just a bothersome gnat that could be squashed. Thank you for your book - I have bought multiple copies for friends and families and my own copy has been lent and religiously retrieved several times. Thank y

Hello. I bought your book a few weeks ago, and I know the source of one of your quotes that was mentioned at the start of one of the chapters. In your book, I believe that it says 'Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master.' - Quote from a computer game.

The computer game is called Alpha Centauri, and the whole quote can be found here - here. The full quote is:

'As the Americans learned so painfully in Earth's final century, free flow of information is the only safeguard against tyranny. The once-chained people whose leaders at last lose their grip on information flow will soon burst with freedom and vitality, but the free nation gradually constricting its grip on public discourse has begun its rapid slide into despotism. Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master.' --- Com

In my chapter of NHJ, I wrote passionately about my concern over the collapse of ethics in business and government. I wrote of the corroding affect of the daily diet of lies and spin. I focused on some of the 'big lies' and specifically mentioned the unthrown children. I've just come back from a long fishing trip on Fraser Island where I cut myself off from the daily news. I've returned to the mainland to hear a furore over the unthrown children and the lies surrounding it. My first reaction was 'yawn, we know about that already'. I'm tired, windswept, bedraggled and sunburnt and don't want to relive the lies of the last election.

Then again maybe I do. This sea-dog will live to fight another day. We are talking about a pattern of behaviour where the voters are treated with contempt. We've written and spoken about this endlessly for years. When is enough enough? We continue to fight this battle on many levels and there is no time better than now to take them on.

Is this the discussion forum Margo talks about in her book? If so, I'm keen to join in...

NHJ! (JR): 'Sort of', Ruby - it's really more of an ideas submission forum than a 'chat room' as such, but whatever you want to call it, you're in.

Lying lyinger lyingest lies and the lyingestically lyingorific lying-liars who...oh, for ----'s sake, forget it.

Trust no-one. Believe no-one. Vote 1 Independents and/or Minors.

I am running as an independent for Berowra against Phillip Ruddock. After taking a while longer than hoped to develop my website I finally have gotten underway with my policies.

My policy entitled 'My vision for Australia and our system of government' is intended to set my overall direction but also includes actions that I would take if elected to establish a stronger foundation for our democracy. Amongst other things is the idea that election candidates would be able to register an election commitment with the AEC, which they would put on their website. They would also be able to, upon issue of the writs for the following election, report on how they had honoured that commitment. Whilst the voluntary nature might on first impression make this sound like a weak measure, I think in practice it would become standard that if a candidate wanted their commitment to be regarded as credible, they would have it so registered. It wo

The following letter appeared in today's SMH, related to the latest allegations against John Howard and the children overboard claims of 2001:

'John Howard's response to Mike Scrafton's disclosure is his usual one: to split hairs.

But after all these years, we are learning to examine very carefully everything the Prime Minister says for some obscure literal meaning he will later rely on if it suits him.

What future does a politician have if his words can no longer be taken at face value?

Not happy, John'.

Richard Ure, Epping, August 16

There is a common law tort of deceit, but the person suing would need to be the person who suffered the loss from the deception. The $2 comes from the Government, not the voter. Even though it's the voter whose decision determines where the money goes, the voter has no loss.

You cannot sue for deceit in policy statements that causes you losses elsewhere either.