The Launch of John Valder's campaign to defeat Howard in Bennelong is:

10.30am, August 24th (that's next Tuesday)
Eastwood Masonic Hall
186 Rowe St, Eastwood (Western end of Rowe St Plaza)

I am so heartened by the fact that some people like Andrew Wilkie with WMD, and these latest public servants making comments about 'children overboard' claims, are coming forward and speaking up. There is a principle at the heart of this which is that no government should require anyone to do that which is immoral or to allow governments to propogate lies when they know the truth.

There must be many public servants, officials and contractors who would be able to tell us about the truth of WMD and when the government actually took the decision to go to war in Iraq. Who funded and trained waterside workers in Dubai and what the government knew about it? What legal advice they were given about the war in Iraq? About the Tampa, the ship with asylum seekers that sunk? And the treatment of Hicks and Habib. There is much else that others must know about the lies and deceptions.

There are some of you who are in the 'know' and who should say what you know. If it becomes mor

It was with a deepening sense of gloom and depression that I read your book Margo. I hasten to add that this was not reflective of the treatment of the subject matter or the quality of your writing, rather it was for the reason that is obvious from the title of my review.

I fear that only people like myself and others of a similarly 'liberal' persuasion would bother to read it and thus would not be aware of the fact that their democracy is being corrupted by those who profess to be its most ardent practitoners.

Although I was heartened to read articles from those who are from the 'right', I am yet to be convinced that those voters who do not take a strong interest in the electoral process can be mobilised against the party machines at work.

I fear that the level of effective public debate is such that if anything, the government's appalling actions will be put under the category of: 'They're politicians...what do you expect?'

Not Happy John In February 2003 our family set out on a days adventure for something we felt very strongly about - Australia joining forces to invade a country for NO PROVEN REASON !! Complete with back packs, water bottles and signs laboured over by 8 and 10 year olds we joined the mass of humanity accumulating in Hyde Park. We laughed, sang and chatted with people from every part of Sydney and beyond. We stood patiently in the crush and were overjoyed that there were so many people we couldnt physically march. We went home tired, footsore and hungry but elated that Australians had got off their arses and shown how they felt. It didnt last very long - in a blatant show of sheer arrogance I heard us referred to as 'a mob' we were not seen as the democratic voice of Australia just a bothersome gnat that could be squashed. Thank you for your book - I have bought multiple copies for friends and families and my own copy has been lent and religiously retrieved several times. Thank y

Hello. I bought your book a few weeks ago, and I know the source of one of your quotes that was mentioned at the start of one of the chapters. In your book, I believe that it says 'Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master.' - Quote from a computer game.

The computer game is called Alpha Centauri, and the whole quote can be found here - here. The full quote is:

'As the Americans learned so painfully in Earth's final century, free flow of information is the only safeguard against tyranny. The once-chained people whose leaders at last lose their grip on information flow will soon burst with freedom and vitality, but the free nation gradually constricting its grip on public discourse has begun its rapid slide into despotism. Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master.' --- Com

In my chapter of NHJ, I wrote passionately about my concern over the collapse of ethics in business and government. I wrote of the corroding affect of the daily diet of lies and spin. I focused on some of the 'big lies' and specifically mentioned the unthrown children. I've just come back from a long fishing trip on Fraser Island where I cut myself off from the daily news. I've returned to the mainland to hear a furore over the unthrown children and the lies surrounding it. My first reaction was 'yawn, we know about that already'. I'm tired, windswept, bedraggled and sunburnt and don't want to relive the lies of the last election.

Then again maybe I do. This sea-dog will live to fight another day. We are talking about a pattern of behaviour where the voters are treated with contempt. We've written and spoken about this endlessly for years. When is enough enough? We continue to fight this battle on many levels and there is no time better than now to take them on.

Is this the discussion forum Margo talks about in her book? If so, I'm keen to join in...

NHJ! (JR): 'Sort of', Ruby - it's really more of an ideas submission forum than a 'chat room' as such, but whatever you want to call it, you're in.

Lying lyinger lyingest lies and the lyingestically lyingorific lying-liars who...oh, for ----'s sake, forget it.

Trust no-one. Believe no-one. Vote 1 Independents and/or Minors.

I am running as an independent for Berowra against Phillip Ruddock. After taking a while longer than hoped to develop my website I finally have gotten underway with my policies.

My policy entitled 'My vision for Australia and our system of government' is intended to set my overall direction but also includes actions that I would take if elected to establish a stronger foundation for our democracy. Amongst other things is the idea that election candidates would be able to register an election commitment with the AEC, which they would put on their website. They would also be able to, upon issue of the writs for the following election, report on how they had honoured that commitment. Whilst the voluntary nature might on first impression make this sound like a weak measure, I think in practice it would become standard that if a candidate wanted their commitment to be regarded as credible, they would have it so registered. It wo

The following letter appeared in today's SMH, related to the latest allegations against John Howard and the children overboard claims of 2001:

'John Howard's response to Mike Scrafton's disclosure is his usual one: to split hairs.

But after all these years, we are learning to examine very carefully everything the Prime Minister says for some obscure literal meaning he will later rely on if it suits him.

What future does a politician have if his words can no longer be taken at face value?

Not happy, John'.

Richard Ure, Epping, August 16

There is a common law tort of deceit, but the person suing would need to be the person who suffered the loss from the deception. The $2 comes from the Government, not the voter. Even though it's the voter whose decision determines where the money goes, the voter has no loss.

You cannot sue for deceit in policy statements that causes you losses elsewhere either.

The coverage of NHJ in the Murdoch press has been virtually nonexistent. Hardly surprising, really, considering the claims made against the media mogul.

But today's Australian, however, has broken the drought. Mike Skeketee, national affairs editor, writes about the internal dissenters in the Liberal Party, and especially John Valder's Not Happy, John! campaign.

Key quote:

'Howard is stuck with his legacy on the Iraq war: all he can hope for is that, despite the wrong intelligence and failure to find weapons of mass destruction, the country becomes more stable and democratic than now appears likely. His luck is that the issue does him most harm in safe Liberal or solid Labor seats.'

The trooly-o-yay-and-verily angelic truth-seekers of the ripping John Howard Lies website are maintaining a relentless squirrel grip on PM-Credibility-Overboardgate even as it hourly unfolds.

A CSI rubber-glove probe, John? The X-Files truth-is-out-there, Mark? Hah! Begone! with your imported Yankee cultural metaphors, the let's-go-to-the-record forensic fiends who crank out 'JHL' even give A Certain Hansard Committee a run for their money. (Speaking of money, while you're over there why not think about chucking these big-hearted Citizens a buck or two? Even those diligent PH Senate Committee scribbler n' scribey types do it at least partly for the weekly paycheck, but your public-spirited amateur record checker can doubtless use all the spare change going...)

Keep lying all you like, Prime Mi

Where can I get NHJ stickers in Perth?

NHJ! (JR): Jenepher, there's no Perth-based NHJ movement as yet that I know of, so contact John Valder's campaign office in Sydney on 02-99296818, email is anyonebutjohn@yahoo.com.

Who knows, he may even be able to send you a whole bunch to distribute in the West on a franchise basis!

It is a pity that the electorate can not be inspired to throw the politicians out, then rewrite part of the constitution so that political parties are outlawed. If the 'machine' is the problem (and it is) then demolish the machine and take back the system from the politicians - vote independents where possible-even the Democrats and Greens are more interested in their ideologies than thinking through each issue and doing what is right for the majority or all.