FELLOW EDITORS: I PUBLISHED THE GENTLEMAN'S SMALLER PIECE (HE MUST HAVE READ THE WORD LIMIT AFTER SUBMITTING HIS FIRST ONE AND DECIDED TO NOT GIVE US AN EXCUSE TO IGNORE HIM). HIS BASIC POINT - THAT THE GUN OWNERS SAW HOWARD'S COLOURS FIRST - EVEN BEFORE THE WATERSIDE WORKERS - WHILE THE LEFT APPLAUDED WITHOUT IRONY - I UTTERLY AGREE WITH, INCIDENTALLY. Excellent book, which encapsulated everything we Law Abiding Gun Owners felt when Howard branded us all potential murderers, in 1996 after Port Arthur and then again in 2002, after Monash Murders.After Port Arthur Massacre, much was written and discussed about the effect of the Richmond Report, into Mental Health, as well as the influence of the sadistic and violent videos Martin Bryant watched. Or was the problem one of poor Policing in that M.B. had been previously asociated with two other deaths? But then the Media got heavily into 'Gun Control'. Suddenly Howard, against expert advice and against the wishes of the State Police Mi

Whilst I am a conservative voter by nature, I too have been alarmed at the deterioration of the level of debate on issues in Australia in recent years. I have enjoyed reading your articles in the SMH over the years, although not always agreeing with you.

My daughters gave me your book for my birthday and I started reading it last night. What a revelation! I have only read the first few chapters but you have articulated that which I have been saying for some time. Vigorous debate in a democratic society is a healthy thing - it's what sets us apart. I think that this idea that you are either with me or against me is unhealthy for any democracy.

Sadly, I think that Howard when he finally goes - and I suspect it won't be this time - he will leave Australia a more polarised, insensitive and selfish society than he found. Not a great legacy by any measure.

I also realised when I read your bio that we were at Uni together!

All the best
Geoff Neilsen

Great to see Howard's Dictatorship exposed. Those of us who owned Guns and were treated like Criminals by Howard in May 1996 saw this coming first. We rallied in major cities and drew crowds that hadn't been seen since the anti-Vietnam marches of the late 60s. Take heed that Bush referred to Howard as the 'Man of Steel'. He may well have used the Russian translation, 'Stalin'!

I'm so furious about the intellectual property provisions in the FTA, I've banned members of all parties that voted for it from using my website, including Labour.

I've notified the national secretariats of all four parties, and sent personal notifications to all MHRs and Senators belonging to those parties.

If anyone else has a similar quixotic urge and would like more detail, contact me via the website.

John Bear

Check out the front page of Brisbane City Life. Thanks to NHJ!er Gayle (seat of Dickson) for this. Also NHJ events have been added to the Sydney what's on page.

Gayle will advertise any NHJ event in City Life for free, in any city (I'm not sure exactly which cities it's in). In her words

The what's on pages are some of our busiest and the text down the middle (actual events) gets much better results. Any events, please let me know or tell people to submit them. It costs nothing and if it makes one extra person come along, it's worth it.

So contact her with your events.

Gayle is a successful, professional woman - a swinging voter - who has decided it is time to be heard. For the seat of Dickson she has created www.defeathoward.com, for bringing this brilliant article by Richard Woolcott to our attention.

Here is Alison Broinowski's review of Andrew Wilkie's Axis of Deceit and Not Happy, John!, published in the latest Australian Book Review magazine. Thanks for permission to publish it here, Alison.
A Cancer in Our Polity
by Alison Broinowski
Governments lie, as veteran US journalist I.F. Stone used to remind us. Worse than that, some of them now defy with impunity the clearly stated wishes of the majority, and international agreements, too. We seem to have entered an era in which the meaning of democracy is being alarmingly redefined. Let us hope it is merely a passing phase.
Majorities in the Anglo-alliance countries now believe that our governments misled us and that the war in Iraq was not justified. This year, for the first time ever, former diplomats and former military commanders in all three countries have signed statements deploring their governments

Dear Margo, I was loaned your book by my sister with the recommendation that it was a must to read this book. It took me 24 hours to read as I found it compelling reading. Like many Australians I was complacent about our rights and lifestyle. Reading your book opened my eyes.

Less than half-way through I was thinking we must set up an internet news services and that individuals should set up their own websites outlining their thoughts. If everyone got involved it would be impossible to silence. When I reached the end of your book (less than half an hour ago) I felt energised that people had already started on working towards improving our democracy.

Congratulations to everyone involved in making this possible. I feel new hope for our world and future when people of goodwill work together to improve everyone's future. Despite being a Labor voter all my life, my first preference in this election will go to The Greens.

As a mature age uni student in my seco

After last night's debate between Mark Latham and John Howard, I received a letter at Counterspin which articulates a view of many, I bet:

'I found the most interesting point of the debate to be the plethora of 'big issues' that did not get any air time. What happened to the 'big issues' of the last few years, such as:

- environment
- reconciliation
- welfare reform
- Telstra and regional service levels
- immigration, asylum seekers and mandatory detention
- aged care
- child care
- anything to do with workplaces
- red tape killing small businesses
- etc etc

Either the items listed above are no longer issues or the panel steered both players to discuss only the current media agenda. After all, for the media these issues are only yesterday's news.

I think these items are all still real issues.'

PLUS: NHJ is sprinting back up the book charts, n

With Guest Speakers:

We at Margo

The government claims it is not responsible or getting extra tax benefits from the rise in fuel prices to record level. 'All the increased GST goes to the states!' We have not increased OUR Federal revenue take says JH! Can some one tell me IF revenue is a percentage of wholesale price or a fixed amount per litre? I dont care if you call it excise or tax - it is still TAX. Further to that, has anyone looked at whether the old 'Import Parity Pricing Policy' is still in force and what impact IT has on the retail price of Fuel? No-one seems to mention that when it comes to fuel pricing issues!

Everyone is angry at John Howard. It's pathetic. I walk by Epping Station every day and I see you guys hand out these crap bumper stickers to people - do you think people will take a bumper sticker seriously? It's really sad handing 'em to high school students. By the way John Howard doesn't run Australia for financial gain, he runs it with the will to make it better. Although not all policies I agree with, who else can run Australia? You? Your neighbour? People seriously think he's like the worst thing to happen to Australia but he's not He's reduced debt accumulated by unwise Labor spending.

NHJ!(HA): The idea of a democracy is that all of us have a hand in running Australia. John Howard has utterly lost touch with this principle, and no amount of making the trains run on time will redeem him for this.

Not Happy John now has a theme song

click here

This is very cool.