... it has been revealed the federal Human Services Minister, Senator Ian Campbell, had discussions with Mr Burke about a racing redevelopment proposal when they met last year. (ABC news online: 03-03-07).It is clear that their mud-slinging match had backfired.
They were already hurt after the failed attempt by Costello to take over as PM. They dumped Amanda Vanstone, and put Turnbull into the cabinet (no doubt he will become the leader of the opposition after Howard loses the election).
Their half-hearted attempt to regain lost ground after their absolute refusal to consider climate change as real, is also likely to fail. Howard's ludicrous plan to build twenty five nuclear power plants is breathtaking in its naivety and stupidity. For a start, no State will agree to have such a political liability, or white elephant.
The factor that really spelt the end of the Howard regime, is electing Kevin Rudd as leader of the opposition. The coalition was looking forward to Beasley making a trifecta, ie three losses to Howard. With Rudd as leader the polls have shown how the public was just waiting for a credible Labor leader to form government. The media is calling this a 'honeymoon' period that a new leader enjoys. They will change their mind, when the polls will show that Rudd continues to grow in popularity.
To add insult to injury, Howard is being challenged in his own seat by high profile multi -award winning journalist Maxine Mckew. It might be a long shot, but with changed boundaries, and Greens preferences (they polled 17% in last elections), Howard is squirming.
The Hicks factor is one the government wishes it had handled better. The public is clearly concerned that David Hicks has been tortured and held in Guantanamo Bay hell hole for over 5 years, in a wire cage, and often chained to the ground) and has only recently been charged on trumped up charges, based on what he was forced to admit to under duress. Both Britain and Germany have demanded and got their national detainees returned to them from Guantanamo Bay. Howard of course has not only refused to bring Hicks home, but both he and Ruddock have publicly and nationally branded him as being guilty.
This is telling because it is symptomatic of Howard's basic flaw. He is so bloody-minded. Recently he was in Vietnam, being impressed by their hospitality. He gave a speech there, in which he talked about the Vietnam war, and how it was right and proper for Australia to be involved in it. No, he did not see it as a gaff. While the whole of the Western world has moved on from that era, realising what a costly mistake it was, and a tragedy for the US (50,000 deaths), Australia (500 deaths) not to mention an unknown multitude of Vietnamese deaths, Howard has no problem with it. He probably still holds with the domino theory. In his mind he can't believe that the US lost this war.
This is why Howard is a dangerous leader. Today, he still claims the Iraq has 'weapons of mass destruction', just we haven't found them yet. He also believes that we will win the war in Iraq, not realising that it has been lost for some time now. It is a tragic bloody disaster, that is why the US is negotiating a peaceful, dignified withdrawal from Iraq with Iran and Syria. Here speed is of the essence, because anytime soon, Israel seems intent on bombing the crap out of Iran.
The fact is that Howard is drunk with the reflected glory of a leader of the most powerful nation of the world, (a leader who won illegally), who calls him mate.
For Howard now, the plan is to hold on to power at any cost, so expect more dirty tricks.
They had a faint hearted attack on Maxime Mckew, expect more of the same.
With the continuing presence of our troops in Iraq, interest rates increases forecast, a failed history of any kind of environmental concern, unpopular IR laws (which Rudd will rewrite, not tare up) the outlawing of student union fees. Howard has an uphill battle
Another factor which might prove the straw that the public will not ignore is the fact that The Howard regime has been in power for ten years. The regime change that he was so in favour of four years ago, (in Iraq) might well come back to bite him.
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