By the way, anyone who doubts Mr Scrafton's motivation or veracity might like to read Patrick Walters' powerful profile in The Oz, headed 'A Fearless Public Servant'. Fearless is exactly right - note this passing aside:

In the late 1990s [Scrafton] was subject to an internal Defence investigation and subsequently counselled for accessing pornographic websites on the Department's computer system. This did not prevent him from being hand-picked in 2000 by his departmental boss, Allan Hawke, to work for then defence minister John Moore and his successor, Peter Reith.

Scrafton doubtless knew this (minor) transgression would quickly surface, yet clearly cared more about public truth, public service and a correct & complete public record than his own inevitable public embarrassment. Could we possibly desire any greater level of integrity and self-sacrifice in our Pu

I'm at a loss to describe the feelings NHJ has evoked in me. It is as if the world around me has changed in the space of 24hrs; from when I picked up the book yesterday afternoon to when I put it down today. The sad thing is I was not really surprised with the atrocities contained within Margo's book, it merely cemented my disapointment and lack of faith in our 'honourable' representatives. I only hope the growing discontent among my fellow Australians will be represented by something dramatic and remarkable in the next election giving way to a positive change for all. As it stands I, in my mere 20 years of existence, feel there something is drastically wrong with our society when the youth of the country not only loose faith in its leaders, but never have any to begin with. For we are the future, yet we have little hope. Where are our inspiring, honest, brave leaders? Who are we to look up to in this time of pain and corruption? When will this country have the chance not only to

NHJ and Fahrenheit 911 in consecutive weeks - how good would NHJ look on the big screen? - there must be an Ausie version of Michael Moore out there somewhere! In the last week I've read Stupid White Men and will hit the book shop tomorrow for Imagining Australia: Ideas for Our Future. Thank you Margo for opening my eyes wider, and for encouraging me to yell louder and bang the table harder to get through to my staunchly liberal voting (but darling) husband that his beloved John has to go.... for us, for our kids and for the whole nation (including all those who have come here to escape from a life so terrible we can't imagine).

The NHJ campaign in Bennelong is getting unprecedented levels of media coverage. Saturday's Financial Review featured a full page look at John Valder's ambitions. It makes for compelling reading.

The battle in Howard's backyard

Robert Milliken

The Valder campaign has an unsettling edge. It could be unprecedented for the serving Prime Minister to face a move to unseat him from a party elder statesman. John Valder, a former president of the Liberal Party and one of Sydney's best-connected fund-raisers, stands before a meeting in Cammeray, in the city's lower North Shore Liberal heartland, and says: 'The Howard government has become grubby. It's tainted. John Howard started out as Honest John. He basked in that. Now people laugh. He's perceived as Grubby John.'

Valder was speaking to supporters last Tuesday on the strategy for their campaign at the forthcoming federal election to oust John Howard as the MP for Bennelong. He wants the coali

Great book Margo. It has finally exposed what John Howard is, and that is a meglamaniac of the highest order. If this man is voted in for another term our democracy will be further eroded and this great country of ours cannot afford that.

It is such a great shame that some of our daily newspapers are gagged and this farcical goverment is not exposed more so the general puplic can evaluate what is going on in our so called democratic society without having the wool pulled over their eyes. So this great book has been a real eye opener to the average family like ours and at the next election we will do something to preserve our great democracy.

The High Court of Australia has confirmed that politicians can brazenly lie at elections with impunity.

(See Evans v Crichton-Browne, 1981)

Under the Electoral Act, The High Court confirmed candidates can say what they like to get your vote. And if they are elected on their lies, you have no opportunity to do anything about it until they come up for re-election. And they know it! So what can the poor voters do?

Well, if the pollies can't be sued under the Electoral Act, how about suing their political parties under civil or criminal law? Can it be done? Consider this:

Political parties who win 4% or more of the total vote receive an indexed grant from the public purse for each vote cast in their favour - currently it's almost $2.00 per vote. This amounts to tens of millions of dollars at every Federal election (they also

A great book to read but has had an effect on my blood pressure for sure. Now is the time for Howard to be kicked out with his cronies, like Abbot & Costello, Vanstone and et al. Reading the letter from Scraffton it really shows how they duck for cover and pass on the blame to the bureaucrats who cannot respond.

The Howards should be sent a bill for the BBQ party that he arranged for Bush and if he does not pay it send in the debt collectors like the way the Government does for overpayments mistakes it makes.

Discovering Democacy & Citizenship - An informal community discussion group being held in Room 3, Rosny Library, Rosny, Tasmania commencing Tuesday 7th September 2004 2:00-4:00 PM. Thank you for the inspiraton in your book Margo, this has been incredibly timely and re-affirms my social activist commitment to 'raise public awareness' .

Continue your great work...Kind regards

Philip, Global citizen

What a great book! Thank you for having the guts and determination to expose Howard the Coward. What lies, what corruption, it makes my blood boil!! It's time Howard was ousted!

PS: Where can I get the stickers from??

Gayl

NHJ! (JR): The best source of stickers now is John Valder's 'NHJ' juggernaut (office number 02-99296818 or email anyonebutjohn@yahoo.com). His campaign launch, where apparently they'll be on sale for $1, is at 10.30am on Tuesday, August 24 at the Eastwood Masonic Hall, 186 Rowe St, Eastwood (the Western end of the Rowe St Plaza).

I can't agree with the idea of suing politicians for lying as suggested by retired engineer. We'd then have courts deciding the truth of what was said/promised. People fought long and hard and beheaded at least one king to make Parliament supreme.

The best solution is to vote the bastards out.

G'day. Adelaide was a blast, and South Australian readers are asking for NHJ stickers in disproportionate numbers. There's a vibe down there, for sure. My latest thoughts on Howard's betrayal of Menzies' legacy are on Webdiary at Not Happy, John! Reflections of a Webdiarist: it's the text of the speech I delivered to the Sydney Institute last week contrasting the values of Menzies and Howard. I'm told it's being passed around by true Liberals in the federal parliamentary party.
I'm moving home to Canberra tomorrow. The next NHJ event is at Dymock's flagship Sydney store in George Street at 6pm on Wednesday August 18. Call 92309013 or email Leticia at letitia.davy@dymocks.com.au if you'd like to come - it's free, but an RSVP is required. ... if you'd like to come. I'm speaking at a Greens' fundraiser dinner in Canberra on Saturday, August 21, in Ainslie. Email deb.foskey@act.greens.org.au if you'd lik

Being a bit player, part-time letter writer, would-be novelist, full time greenie, local agitator, (current President of Noosa Residents and Ratepayers assoc.) it is with trepidation that I poke a toe into the same pool as the big boys and girls.

First, I was inspired, excited and depressed by your book. Excited and depressed because I new it was true, very depressed because I also know that hardly anyone is paying attention and the majority of those that read it were already very unhappy with John (of course that is quite a few). Now if you could get on Big Brother, Australian Idol or some greed/humiliation based variety show, you would have two thirds of the country as your audience.

I have attached my local contribution to the democracy debate. Here on the Sunshine Coast the latest assault is led by a coalition of property developers and government to abolish local governments in favour of centralised regional councils. This of course means the abolition of loca

I've just returned from the US and was delighted to see how many advertisements there are on TV, not from the Democrat party, but advocating against Bush's re-election. Would anybody here be able to raise the money to do that?

Margo: Perhaps local groups could raise the money for ads on local TV or in local papers? Another reader, Ian Grant, also suggests that people could print off fliers for letter box drops where you live.

Small-l Liberals and true Burkian conservatives who watched John Valder on Sunday this morning may well have been a tad discombobulated by JV's final rather...er, 'cheeky' dig at the kind of tactic the on-going evolution of his once-beloved 'broad church' may yet introduce to Australian 'conservative' politicking:

GRAHAM DAVIS: But to sink the knife in one last time himself, John Valder makes yet another extraordinary claim - that so far to the right has John Howard taken the Liberals that he now fears a violent reprisal from the Party's more ardent supporters among the Young Liberals.
JOHN VALDER: It could take things as extreme of people like myself being roughed up, which I think is, in modern politics, the dirt units get out ...
GRAHAM DAVIS: When you say roughed up, you mean physically?
JOHN VALDER: Physically.
GRAHAM DAVIS: What, you're worried about being physic

I have wondered why I have constantly felt angered and a sense of fleecing by this government, but I am now able to now begin to put my finger on what I haven't quite been able to understand - thanks to your book.

I have endeavored over the past 7 years to add up the deceit, lies, spin, mistruths about the Howard government and the list grows daily. I have mostly been a Labor supporter over the years, but became concerned by a sense of arrogance and dismissal of the people by Keating in his last years.

I like you decided in 2001 to vote Greensm - shame more voters don't support Bob Brown. Howard has taught us that to lie and get away with it is OK. He has made it a pastime. And I now feel sick to the stomach each time I hear him speak more crap and never take ownership on truth and real human issues.