I read Not Happy, John in two days. Why? Because it's so much, to use the title of Anthony Trollope's novel on political corruption, The Way We Live Now.

Margo gives us a good memory jolt. There were so many things I'd forgotten that Howard had foisted upon us. Like the disgraceful lockdown of parliament just to let George W. Bush fly in and out again. Something is seriously wrong when citizens are barred from OUR OWN house.

As Margo says, Howard may be the major problem at the moment, but he will be moving on soon enough - whether booted out by Australians at the next election, or 'gracefully' exiting himself. The imperitive is to clean up the mess that's been left behind, to call for more genuine, straightforward democracy.

Mark Latham's words on grassroots democracy ring hollow for me. In his book The Enabling State he wrote: 'I do not share Dick Morris' view that direct democracy will be applied across the board. The Federal parliament