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

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

I recently have had the pleasure of reading the publication, 'Not Happy, John!'.

I note, however, that there is a typographical error on page 151 of the paperback edition.

The second sentence on that page reads as follows:

'Giurgola did his best to honour the original intent by designing broad, sweeping lawns so that people could use to walk right across the top of their elected representatives.'

I presume that the 20th word of that sentence should have read 'them'.

Yours faithfully,
Paul Marx.

NHJ!(HA): Well spotted Paul, but wouldn't it flow better if we just cut the fifteenth word, 'so'?

I have managed to contact NHJer in Melbourne but I was thinking of working alone if necessary. I was wondering if there is any letter drop election material available ? Is there a cost ? How can one access this material ?

My mother received an alarming flyer 'from' The Greens this week. It was written by the Liberal Party, but they do not identify themselves on any part of the flyer.

The fine print reads 'Authorised by Scott Morrison, Level 9, 140 William St, East Sydney NSW 2011', but nowhere on the flyer is Scott Morrison identified as a representative of the Liberal Party. I had to type Scott Morrison's business address into an internet search engine to confirm that the flyer was a Liberal Party advertisement. The use of the Green party logo, a 'stamp' reading 'Official Greens Policy' and official photos of Labor MP Lindsay Tanner and NSW Greens Senator Kerry Nettle are intended to fool the voter into believing that the flyer was written and authorised by the Green and/or Labor parties.

The Liberal party may be entitled to use quotes from Hansard, Greens senators, Labor MPs, The Australian and the Herald Sun, but surely they must declare authorship of this 'Greens' flyer. I believe as a citiz

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:

Re: Dodgy Campaign Tactics:

Producing or distributing a flyer that purports to be from one party when it is in fact from another is an offence under the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) s329, and should be reported to the Australian Electoral Commission.

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.

I came to Australia in the 1950's as it seemed to offer opportunities that were unavailable in the Europe of that time. Democracy or the power of the people to determine their own fate socially and economically seemed to me to exist in a stronger way in Australia than anywhere else in the world. Unhappily during the last few years the influence and unaccountability of 'big business' and other pressure groups has become increasingly prevalent in Australian politics, due to the attitudes of both major parties towards campaign funding.

Your book has at long last disclosed the way in which our democratic rights have been subverted by a band of extremist politicians who have forgotten that they owe a responsibility to the people for their actions and not just their paymasters. It's up to the voters to show their displeasure at Howard's actions - I only hope that it's not too late...

Dear Brian,

Proposing to negotiate with those who threaten to hurt us is the bravest political move any potential politician could make and I applaud you for it. I'm watching Sunday morning television and the right wing journalists are having a field day and I'm so sorry Brian that they have such simple viewpoints.

I and my son have suffered terrorism of a very domestic nature and the only beneficiaries who gain from 'don't negotiate' are of course solicitors who make money from people who are too afraid to talk. Even though you don't ever get what you want when you do take the risk to meet, to appear vulnerable, you glean information. You get to know your so called 'enemy' and those who represent them. My son's future has become just a little more secure every time I force situations where my ex has to front me. I have had to use every source of legal, political and hidden networks to keep my son safer than he would otherwise be. Closing the door closes opportunity.

Glo

I think Australia needs to have a new Prime Minister and a new team, more than ever to PRESENT to our neighbours and the rest of the world that we are a sovereign nation and can think for ourselves.

With a new face and new team we can loose the tag of deputy sherrif to the USA.

We need to hear a new way of looking after our security. After all what has john howard saved us from? NOTHING. He sent us to Iraq and gave us a high profile; that is about all he has done. It is so sad to see the death and suffering on the front pages of the papers.

But children in Iraq die every day and not just in one picture. Also I have heard a figure I cannot get over (correct me if I am wrong): that up to 15 thousand people die every day from poverty, lack of food, AIDS etc. And never a picture on the front page. I rang our Daily here several times an ask them to put a picture of a child from Sudan on the front page. 'No', I was told - that is not a local issue.

What is wrong with