I enjoyed your book, however, I did find the subtle suggestion that Pauline Hanson represents people who feel suppressed by Government, Big Business and Big Media a little difficult to swallow.

Hanson was elected because she appeared on the Liberal ticket (even though she had been disendorsed shortly before the federal election). She had also stated bigoted/conservative (words that are synonymous with eachother) views concerning the unfortunate plight of the indigenous members of our Australian community. Categorisations such as the 'Aboriginal industry'evidence such bigotry because they are entirely false and expressed for the purpose of vilification.

Hanson then got her juggernaught moving following her maiden speech in parliament where she stated that Australia was being swamped by Asians and that Multiculturalism did not work. No other comments were given any significance by the media.

It is not difficult to categorise her support as predominately from th

I'm enjoying the book immensely. My wife has commented that I've been thumping the table at breakfast. Actually it is good to feel that that anger over the damage that's been done to our democracy can be purposefully directed. And shared. I'm looking forward to hearing you speak about the 'State of the Nation' at the Melbourne writers festival.

We are learning about Fact and Opinion, and Denotation and Connotation in my Year 9 English class. Many in the class have rated a Shampoo commercial over a war report as containing more reliable facts! These are kids from the Western suburbs who are deeply suspicious of our Pollies as well as our news coverage.

Just today, a couple had the rest amazed and raving about the duplicity of George W depicted in Fahrenheit 9/11. (They led the conversation, I just chaired). I hope and pray the sentiment is coming from their voting parents.

I'm Very Happy to be aboard the Bandwagon,

I have just returned home from the Adelaide Imprints Bookshop launch of your book. Thank you for including us in your itinerary, and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing you speak. I hope you have provided a lightning rod for the regime change you spoke of.

Unfortunately time beat the questions, but I wanted to report an observation, and hear your opinion. I might add I have not read your book yet, though plan to as soon as my partner has finished reading it - he keeps having to put it down to calm down his rage every now and then, so it seems to be working!

Around the time of Tampa, I became concerned about the greater use of marketing style 'jargon' being used by the Government, and particularly John Howard, that is repeated by the press without contradiction, so in the end you hear the general population using the same words (thereby convinced somehow that the government is correct).

When I was a kid, people in desperate need of asylum were called 'refugees' or '

Margo, great book - it made me feel for the first time that its my privilege and obligation to be more active in our democracy. I thought your idea of denying the Big Parties their public monies by not voting for them Number 1 was a good one - it needs to be explained and sold to the public.

I also hope you continue to pursue the AEC and Tony Abbott - wouldn

G'day. Adelaide citizen and NHJ team member S is a worried man after Howard's appearance on Sunday this morning, which was followed by a feature called Not happy, John!. on John Valder's campaign to unseat Howard in Bennelong. S wrote:

''I'm very worried. The PM's focus on interest rates on this morning's Sunday programme, makes it clear that he's going to focus on that during this campaign. During the recent property boom, a significant number of people have borrowed significant amounts of money, so they're likely to be influenced by the PM's scare campaign about higher interest rates under Labor.

'Recent elections have shown that even the smallest tax cuts influence voters one way or another (e.g. the 'GST' Election - without tax cut sweeteners, the Howard Government would never have been r

Mango, we sadly, have a problem.

Valda will never have our support!

He cannot be trusted.

We reckon that Wilkie is the way to go, there.

Go Greens!
Dailys.

I bought the book while having a lunch time browse and I'm up to page 9 and feeling better already. I was feeling particularly cheesed off with John and his mates this week.

Last week my daughter brought home the papers for a school council meeting. I'm on the council of her value free zone (sorry I should say her public school). Included with the papers was a note from the principal saying that our local member (Trish Worth) had been on the phone to him and wanted to know if Brendan Nelson could visit the school during the election campaign.

My blood boiled. They use every opportunity to bag public education and now they want photo opportunities. They are pouring public money into private schools. Just a coincidence that the school (Unley Primary School) is at the liberal voting end of one of the most marginal electorates in Australia (Adelaide).

So I went to the school council meeting and tried to sink the visit. No luck - the principal said the state educa

I read your book to and from work for about a week, and several people on the tram asked me about it, seeing the front cover. I ended up having some interesting discussions with my fellow passengers, and surprisingly found a lot of common ground and, even from committed liberal voters, a sense that all is not well. My optimism is restored!

Words, to describe matters, can sometimes fail people yet there is no doubt in my mind. Margo confirms for me that Australia is in crisis if we continue to tolerate Howard and his oligarchy any more. Enough of the lies, the outrageous disregard of social contract, and the insipid toadies who give legitamacy to this disastrous hegemony. The time has come for each and every one of us to reclaim our past heritage and rid ourselves of such fascists.

Very long post - please forgive.

If you care about where this country is headed then you should take the time to read all of Thursday's Hansard speeches from the laughably-truncated Marriage Bill 2004 'debate', but you should in particular read Senator Brian Greig's and Senator Andrew Bartlett's. First, though, you should read the PM's speech to the National Marriage Forum in Parliament's Great Hall the previous week, to see where his standard 'dog-whistling/wedging' stump tactics have now led both the Liberal Party and the country: to the hitherto unthinkable juncture whereby religious fundamentalism is explicitly driving secular legislative change. Browse the pale, grim, joyless, loveless faces in those podium photos; skim their grim, strident, humorless, loveless speeches; sense the aggressively populist, simplistic, barren, lovel

Margo, thank you.

As just a twenty year old I am yet to participate in my first federal election and consequently the past year I have increasingly become interested in the running of our country and the politicians who are meant to represent us on our behalf. The book has given me great motivation as a citizen, enabling myself to write to local political representatives voicing my opinion, worries as well as asking questions about the current free trade agreement with the United States.

Secondly, the book has spurred on my inquisitive side into politics and I have now undertaken an 'Australian Politics' subject at university as an elective. Allowing me to further understand the system meant to represent us as well as further contemplate becoming directly involved in the political system itself.

I wish I could say I'm enjoying your book Margo but in a way it is depressing.

Like you I didn't think it a bad thing when Howard first won government, I thought it good for democracy that governments change regularly. I admired his stance on gun control and Australia's intervention in East Timor. There is not much more good I can say about John Howard.

I also lobbied the independent senators to defeat the cross media legislation and feel I at least played a very small part in its defeat. The detailed expose on the political and moral corruption during the Bush vist in 2003 appalled me. As I said to my local (Liberal) member, I can live with a coalition government, I just want the barren Howard years to end and for the Liberal party to become liberal once again.

Thanks for the opportunity to comment.

Hi all.

'Scuse us if we're taking a while to get back to you on your latest emails. We've been a bit swamped by requests for stickers. MK's in Adelaide just now, but she'll get back to you asap. Also, be watching Nine's Sunday this weekend for a feature on John Valder's 'NHJ' campaign in Bennelong.

The Murdoch press have virtually ignored NHJ. Rather unsurprising really, considering the book takes aim at the Murdoch philosophy and concludes his vision for media consolidation is an anathema to a healthy democracy.

So it is with some surprise that the Daily Telegraph's Malcolm Farr mentioned the book at all, albeit in passing, on August 2.

Writing about the alleged rush of political books in an election year, Farr couldn

Angus & Robertson here in Toowoomba don't have Not Happy John, even though they've got most of the other current political books. I asked about it and was told they could get it in for me within two weeks. I just bought it elsewhere instead (Mack Campbell's). I've emailed head office for an explanation and will let you know if I get a reply.