John Howard


Electoral politics are more important than the Refugee Convention?

The Indonesian Solution is significantly better diplomatically, but significantly worse for refugees, writes Michael O’Keefe. Refugees won’t enter Australian waters and will be stuck at the same refugee processing point as when they left their homes.

Henderson: Labor has always been tough on refugees

Kevin Rudd’s Indonesia Solution may turn out to be even tougher than John Howard’s Pacific Solution, writes Gerard Henderson. Rudd is just continuing the Labor tradition of being tough on immigration.

Crabb: Rudd the unapologetic supporter of puppies

Kevin Rudd has become known as an unapologetic supporter of nearly everything, writes Annabel Crabb. But confusingly, his last two unapologetic stands — tough but humane — are completely contradictory.

Outwit outplay outlast: How Rudd emerges as PM Survivor

Wilson Tuckey’s comments that some asylum seekers may be terrorists simply echoes the refugee/terrorist link that John Howard always pushed. Luckily Kevin Rudd knew to call that bluff, even as the media attempts to airbrush our political history.

The real Battlelines: putting the small ‘l’ back in Liberals

Liberal Senator George Brandis has let fly at his party, saying that for John Howard, the Libs were more conservative than liberal. Glenn Milne reports on the battle of ideas plaguing the Liberal Party.

Why policies are more important than rhetoric

There isn’t as much obnoxious rhetoric by foreign governments on asylum seekers as you might assume, writes Andrew Bartlett. And the rhetoric isn’t as horrific as sending people back home to imprisonment, torture or death.

Singing from Howard’s hymn book no help to Libs

Opposition parties that have been in government for a long time often take just as long to realise that they are no longer in government and to start behaving accordingly, writes Dr Aron Paul.

Albo gives Howard’s NRL dreams the boot

The SMH reveals how Labor MP Anthony Albanese played a key role in scrapping plans to give former PM John Howard a senior position administering the NRL.

Rudd the naughty choirboy

Kevin Rudd’s religious beliefs are well known, from his weekly church door-stops to his writings in The Monthly. So, how well is his Christian faith sitting with his current hard-line asylum seeker stance? asks Chris Uhlmann.

Howard vs. Rudd at 23 months

Possum Comitatus’ visual comparison of Howard vs. Rudd on net satisfaction, preferred PM and the two-party preferred polls at 23 months in shows relatively smooth sailing for Mr 70 Per Cent.

From lone ranger Howard to gang leader Rudd

Kevin Rudd isn’t continuing the Howard government’s Pacific Solution. Rudd’s new ‘Indonesia Solution’ is an important shift politically, getting our neighbours to help bear the asylum seeker burden.

Sarah Hanson-Young: ‘Rudd, how does it feel to look in the mirror and see Howard?’

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young blasts the outdated Christmas Island detention centre, the insulting language pollies use for refugees and the fact that John Howard’s ghost still haunts immigration.

Hartcher: Howard animates the dead corpse of the Coalition

The ghost of John Howard remains the leader of the Liberal Party in spirit, with the Coalition mimicking his ambiguity on climate change and immigration, writes Peter Hartcher. Can Turnbull come up with new ideas?

Oakes: Tough talking Rudd misses the real baddies

Rather than “beating the anti-asylum seeker drum’, Kevin Rudd should criticise the Sri Lankan government for their treatment of Tamils. That might improve conditions and decrease refugees, argues Laurie Oakes.

Bolt: Spin overboard

This is Kevin Rudd’s Tampa, says Andrew Bolt, so why isn’t the media treating him with the same outrage and indignation they did Howard?

Ghosts of SIEV X still shadow the corridors of power

John Howard was full of dark xenophobic attitudes which Kevin Rudd does not share, writes Tony Kevin. But concerned Australians will need to remain vigilant about the future of Australian immigration policies.

Sorry Macklin, but we need a new Indigenous Affairs minister

Kevin Rudd has become an expert in paying lip service to symbolic indigenous issues but his government is failing with the NT intervention and its many faults, writes John Tomlinson. Time to look outside the box?

Alan Jones rips into Hockey and Turnbull

Alan Jones, an old school John Howard supporter, has given Joe Hockey and Malcolm Turnbull a flogging on his show lately, but fawned over Julia Gillard, observes Christian Kerr.

One Nation is dying

At the Bob Santamaria Hospice for the Terminally Ignored

The unwritten Malcolm Turnbull story

Malcolm Turnbull can play the game, but he missed the pre-season. Politicians need a deeper, underlying story to weave to the public and it’s a shame Turnbull missed the importance of writing his, says Lindy Edwards.

Two-faced Tony Abbott

MP Tony Abbott says the Coalition need to negotiate with Labor on the ETS. But, he also is happy to criticise climate change evidence. Why is he playing John Howard’s old games?

Reading between the lines on the NRL-Howard coverage

Once again, Piers Akerman has written a story about a News Ltd investment without once mentioning that his employer has a deep involvement in the issue.

Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Dangerous ideas

Crikey readers weigh in on Guy Rundle’s Festival of Really Dangerous Ideas, the Indian students report and the possibility of John Howard heading up the NRL commission.

Costello: the PM that never was

Peter Costello’s economic legacy will live on, but it’s his thwarted leadership ambitions, trapped by John Howard, that will stay around forever, writes Shaun Carney.

John Howard transforming NRL: there goes the black fan base

Rugby league has been a dying game for many, many years — is John Howard really the man to revamp it? It makes even less sense when you consider a large percentage of the hard-core league fan-base is black.