from the SMH ...

Alan Ramsey

A few weeks ago, when John Howard and Kim Beazley, like schoolboys, were trying to outdo each other on "Australian values", a friend asked if I knew of the "must display" poster Brendan Nelson had been responsible for as John Howard's education tsar before Howard moved him, nine months ago, into Defence, to make life as miserable for the military as he had done for the nation's education industry. I didn't, so my friend mailed me one.

 
from the sydney morning herald ……

‘Richard Woolcott, a retired foreign affairs chief who advised seven prime ministers, launched a sweeping attack on the federal government, saying that Australian democracy was not functioning as it should.

"In 2006 our established ideals of decency, fairness, tolerance, justice and truth in government are under challenge," he said.

 
from the ABC …..

Howard urges calm as drought takes hold

Prime Minister John Howard says Australians need to keep a sense of perspective amid growing concerns about the drought.

The Federal Government today released the first stage of a national assessment of Australia's water resources, which found there is considerable room for improvement.

‘Here is the great discovery of the little man who doesn’t read. America is not the land of the free, nor of the brave, nor of the politically sentient. Nor is it a country of laws or of principles. It is a country of those who just do as they want. A president can do anything he chooses. Who will tell him no? Nobody has.

Today there is speculation as to whether he will make war, perhaps nuclear war, on Iran. The universal assumption seems to be that if he wants to, he will just do it. The legislature, already having given up its authority to declare war, seems to regard the military as the private guard of the president. Is it not interesting that one dim, pugnacious, ignorant little man can bring on nuclear war all by himself?

75 per cent of Iraqis resent the presence of the coalition troops.......

from our lovely ABC .....

US report 'devastates' Howard's credibility

The Federal Opposition says the release of a United States intelligence report torpedoes the Prime Minister's reasons for going to war in Iraq.

The White House has declassified parts of a leaked intelligence report that undermines its claims that America is safer since the war in Iraq.

from a New York Post exclusive .....

RICE BOILS OVER AT BUBBA
RIPS 'FLATLY FALSE' CLAIM ON BUSH'S BID TO GET BIN LADEN

By IAN BISHOP Post Correspondent

September 25, 2006 - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday accused Bill Clinton of making "flatly false" claims that the Bush administration didn't lift a finger to stop terrorism before the 9/11 attacks.

from our ABC .....

Howard plays down water ministry speculation

Prime Minister John Howard is playing down claims that he wants to create a new federal ministry for water http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200609/s1748823.htm|playingdownclaims

Parliamentary Secretary Malcolm Turnbull will take charge of the new Office of Water Resources in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. 

from the Sydney Morning Herald ….

Not content with a review of television and junk food advertising guidelines, Christian groups and children's advocates are calling for an overhaul of children's film content as well as R-rated material.

Questions about the content of Finding Nemo and the Cat in the Hat and R-rated movies have prompted the Australian Christian Lobby to approach every state government in an attempt to put film classification guidelines on the agenda when the attorneys-general meet in March.

from our ABC .....

Ruddock to raise Hicks case with US counterpart

The Attorney-General, Philip Ruddock, says he will raise the David Hicks case with his United States counterpart during meetings this week.

Mr Ruddock says he will meet the US Attorney-General Alberto Gonzales for discussions on national security, but he will also follow up on recent phone conversations about Hicks.

from our ABC .....

Trujillo rejects Govt's Telstra board nomination 

Telstra's chief executive Sol Trujillo says the board cannot support the Federal Government's nominee for a director's position because investigations are yet to establish his integrity and independence.

etc.