Julia Gillard had a sandwich thrown at her this week, delighting the media. Sydney-based freelance writer Dylan Barber brings you some of the best gaffes, errors and fumblings from leaders in years gone by.
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JOHN HOWARD
Follow Crikey’s latest coverage of John Howard. Crikey’s John Howard coverage includes independent news, blogs and commentary.
WorkChoices it ain’t, but Abbott’s IR plan is partly feral
The Coalition has finally unveiled its IR policy, a minimalist document that is not without its concerns for trade unions — and anyone walking past a building site.
READ MORECrikey Clarifier: the process of appointing a new GG
Australia’s next governor-general could be Peter Cosgrove or Angus Houston … but it’s not likely to be a radical or stirrer. With debate beginning in earnest, governance expert Stephen Bartos explains the process.
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What Nick Cater’s book gets wrong about Australia (basically everything)
Australia is a culture of collectivism, not individualism, and no matter what Nick Cater says in his new book, we will never be American go-getters.
READ MOREHoward, through the rose-coloured glasses of nostalgia
Crikey readers talk the real cost of nuclear power, the legacy of John Howard and the reality of renaming airports.
READ MOREEssential: voters on Iraq, gay marriage and Gonski
Voters believe our participation in the Iraq War a decade ago was a mistake, today’s Essential Report shows.
READ MOREFraming forestry and Howard’s WMD claims
Crikey readers have their say on the biggest issues of the day.
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Tips and rumours
Qantas ladies, please defer to a bloke … Crikey’s list of political turncoats … no heteros-xuality please, we’re Green …
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Howard: another old white man claiming credit for the Arab Spring
John Howard’s effort to claim credit for the Arab Spring is grubby and hypocritical — he is using the brave sacrifice of thousands of Arab men and women to justify an illegal war.
READ MOREHoward not giving ground on Iraq
Crikey readers talk News Ltd’s new subbing platform, Margaret Thatcher’s economic legacy and John Howard’s Iraq speech.
READ MOREWhen John Howard was asked why he went to war on false premise
As protesters gathered outside, John Howard spoke in Sydney last night on the decision to go to war on Iraq. Here’s what happened when he was asked why he made that decision without proof, and in defiance of the UN Security Council.
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John Howard’s still lying about Iraq invasion
John Howard is still defending the war in Iraq, and his speech to to the Lowy Institute is full of lies. Will nobody pull him up on the continuing falsehoods?
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A Baroness dies, but the fiction of Thatcherism lives on
Margaret Thatcher is dead. Forget the the fiction that Thatcherism was the only way to modernise a Western economy — it was a second-rate, shoddy approach that left British neighbourhoods in ruins.
READ MOREMurdoch, Abbott, Rinehart, Bolt: Tory-fest in Melbourne tonight
The leading lights of Australia’s Right-leaning power clique are converging on Melbourne for a gala dinner tonight: from Rupert Murdoch to Andrew Bolt and, of course, Tony Abbott. Read about the big do here.
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The 15 shades of Gary Gray — Labor on the edge of the abyss
What’s wrong with Labor? Well, everything … but here are at least 15 of the reasons. Let’s start with Gary Gray.
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Labor leadership — it’s not just about September 14
Labor’s leadership troubles aren’t just about the coming election but the subsequent election — and Kevin Rudd might have his eye much farther down the track.
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Does the Labor narrative narrative stand up?
We all complain Labor lacks a narrative. But what if positive narratives are now impossible to effectively communicate? Look overseas and it may well be the case.
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Myth of Coalition govts: Howard the biggest spender of all
There’s a perception the Coalition are better at cutting spending than Labor, but the Rudd and Gillard governments have cut spending significantly. John Howard was the big spender, says Stephen Koukoulas.
READ MOREHoward, Honan and myth of parliamentary accountability
Julia Gillard is now under fire for taking questions on the AWU issue at a press conference — apparently she’s avoiding Parliament. That argument is nonsense: John Howard misled Parliament and got away with it.
READ MOREJane Caro: why Margie Abbott is bloody revolutionary
Margie and Tony Abbott are more than welcome to join the ranks of the feminists. And the fact that they want to do so speaks volumes for the comeback of a movement written off by John Howard.
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The history curriculum debate: back to the Howard future?
John Howard has reignited the history wars with his intervention last week into school curriculum. It’s the ages-old debate that just doesn’t ever go away.
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Gillard mustn’t bruise a budget surplus
In light of favourable polls, Labor may be tempted to soften its budget stance. This would be a mistake, says Stephen Koukoulas of Business Spectator, not least because of the flow-on effect of higher interest rates.
READ MOREWhen it comes to WorkChoices, Abbott can’t take a trick
Tony Abbott can’t turn a trick on IR — he’s in trouble no matter what he says, and plenty of it is friendly fire.
READ MOREThe benefits of diversity, cultural and intellectual
With the Gillard government being consistently outgunned and just plain monstered in public debate, it has more cause than ever to regret the departure of former finance minister Lindsay Tanner.
READ MOREMy blood is boiling with disappointment
Crikey readers have their say.
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