bye bye Howard

[Sheik Yerbouti]

The most vocal haters of the conservatives & ones who get all the airtime

Bollocks.

Akkerman, Albrechtsen, Bolt, Sheridan, Pearson, Windschuttle etc etc.

I could go on but the list above has made me feel nauseous.

& I'll raise your two well knowns & four who the f*ck are theys with the entire Australian Broadcasting Commision.
Throw em in Weary.

[Sploosh]

I've sent you a PM, Sheik Yerbouti. That'd be a Private Message, not a Prime Minister. I maintain that I have a right to my opinion, even though it differs from some here, including you. But I'm certainly not looking to make enemies on this board - I'm hoping to be on good terms with people when I resume going to the footy.

I am not a representative or spokesman for some super secret "left-wing" group, and as far as I know, I haven't trampled on anyone's rights or freedoms or stolen anyone's kittens.

[Sheik Yerbouti]

I've sent you a PM, Sheik Yerbouti. That'd be a Private Message, not a Prime Minister. I maintain that I have a right to my opinion, even though it differs from some here, including you. But I'm certainly not looking to make enemies on this board - I'm hoping to be on good terms with people when I resume going to the footy.

I am not a representative or spokesman for some super secret "left-wing" group, and as far as I know, I haven't trampled on anyone's rights or freedoms or stolen anyone's kittens.

Yep got it & my assumption on your working history was incorrect.
My apologies.

[Sploosh]

No worries, and I am about to change the opening post. I remain opposed to many things that Howard stands for, but it was not my intention to rile good readers of this forum... it originally started as a parody 'companion thread' to the "bye bye Rudd" thread, and I should have chosen a word or two more carefully.

[Dogwatcher]

Why apologise if you truly feel that though?

That's what's great about this country - being able to debate an issue. Just because it's upset some people, doesn't mean you should change it.

[Sploosh]

I don't apologise about feeling the way I do about Howard. But debate isn't just about blindly arguing your point without listening to the opposing view. While I didn't see it at first, I can now see that I could have made exactly the same point in the first post in a different way. My beef is with Howard, not with people on this site. While I disagree with some opinions about Howard that have been expressed by people who will (probably) vote for him, I agree that reasoned debate is the way to go.

[am Bays]

I don't know about anyone else but I'm feeling the love

[mick]

me too

[Magpiespower]

MP how can you say Howard bamboozled the process?? With a virtually tied vote at the convention (pro vs non republicans) he actually stood up and made the statement that we will have the referendum and give the people their say. He then virtually stayed out of the debate leaving it to teh ARM and AFCM to battle it out. If he wanted to he could have killed it stone dead at teh convention when the delegates couldn't make up there mind what they wanted. It was teh ARM that bamboozled the debate.

Won't get any argument from me that the ARM shoot itself in the foot.

While the fighting amongst Republians loaded the chamber, the actual referendum question pulled the trigger:

To alter the Constitution to establish the Commonwealth of Australia as a republic with the Queen and Governor-General being replaced by a President appointed by a two-thirds majority of the members of the Commonwealth Parliament.

MPs appointing the President was never going to fly with voters which is what made the second part of the question such a killer.

Wonder what the result would have been if we were simply asked if we wanted the become a Republic with the model to determined at a later date?

At the very least, I suspect it would have been a lot closer than 45-55 vote in favour of a Republic.

FWIW, I think an Australian Republic is inevitable.

Don't know if I'll see it in my lifetime but I hope I do...

[Snaggletooth Tiger]

In theory, I'm all for the Republic as well...
But if it's gonna cost the tax-payer shitloads of cash when the money should really
go to more important issues such as saving the River Murray, De-Salination plants etc.

[PhilG]

..