It was a fascinating read on Saturday as Paul Kelly pieced together in The Weekend Australian the strange tensions within the Cabinet of John Howard in the couple of weeks before the formal start of this year’s election campaign. It is not often that the mental processes of lemmings are exposed in such detail as Kelly provided.
Mr downer
Election? He might as well reign until December
Will the PM push the button for a poll this weekend? I’ve spoken to a range of senior Liberals from ministers down over the past 24 hours. Their response, put colloquially, has been “Search me, guv”, writes Christian Kerr.
Downer and Rudd: yapping attack dog and Mini Me
The government is playing to a common sentiment in voters that when one side starts looking arrogant and taking their vote for granted that they should consider giving the underdog a go.
The new collected snarlings of A. Downer, attack spaniel
On the 16 August, Crikey published a series of searing verbal attacks from the government’s (self?) appointed attack spaniel, Alexander Downer, Minister for Foreign Affairs. Here is volume two.
Time to say goodbye to Howard… after his week of glory
Let the man say goodbye to his international friends this week and bid him farewell as Prime Minister the week after. That surely would be the thought of sensible Liberal and National Party members this morning as they contemplate another disastrous set of opinion poll numbers.
Double standards in pollies’ approach to religion
Today’s broadsheets contain two stories about politicians meeting with people. The Fairfax papers report Howard meeting with representatives of Exclusive Brethren, including a member being investigated for election funding irregularities.
Rudd Scores affair: muck that won’t stick
Making a fuss about Kevin Rudd going to a New York strip club is the kind of tactical mistake that can cost a party an election, writes Richard Farmer.
The collected snarlings of A. Downer, attack spaniel
Economist, diplomat, political advisor, former leader of the Opposition, foreign minister – Alexander Downer has a formidable CV. But it fails to mention one of his more recent roles – government attack spaniel. Here’s a quick survey of Mr Downer’s most recent attacks.
Indians everywhere worried by Howard and Downer’s wedge
Our Foreign Minister has a problem with understanding the criminal law. Yesterday he said: “Every time there is somebody arrested and facing charges, there’s some sort of controversy about ‘oh the poor thing, he must be innocent…’”
