Howard makes Liberal-minded Aussies hang their heads in shame

It is with great pleasure that I publish the following message which arrived tonight, in response to a Crikey bulletin which announced that President-elect Obama and his family are unable to take up the traditional residence for the President-elect, "Blair House" at 1651 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington DC. Why?

• Because our illustrious former PM, John Howard and his lovely wife - what's-her-name (?) have accepted an invitation to bunk down at Blair House, prior to receiving the (US) Presidential Medal of Freedom.

My correspondent's message is as follows:

JWH's distinguished career as PM featured the following notable contributions to the human condition as detailed by Julian Burnside QC in his excellent book - 'The Watching Brief' p. 176 (a must read for all liberal-minded men and women)

• "Our treatment of asylum-seekers, in particular: arbitrary detention involving cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of children and adults; the unregulated use of solitary confinement; and treatment amounting to torture;
• "The government's complacent acceptance of the detention in Guantanamo of two Australian citizens: Mamdouh Habib and David Hicks. Habib was tortured by Egyptian and American authorities; Australia knew about it and did nothing to help him. Hicks was held for five years and then faced a 'trial' without any features or safeguards of a proper criminal trial; the Australian government did not lift a finger to help him;
• "The 2002 amendments to the security legislation permitting the incommunicado detention of people not suspected of any offence;
• "The 2005 amendments to the security legislation permitting the imprisonment for up to 14 days without trial, house arrest for up to 12 months without trial, and deprivation of basic rights without access to the evidence used against the person."

All the above was achieved while our ex-leader trotted out platitudes about a 'fair go' and 'family values' ably assisted by an Attorney General flashing an Amnesty International badge. Lord Downer of Fishnet also minced about adding colour to each new initiative.

Australians await the obliteration of these foul laws which have heaped shame and condemnation of the land of the real fair go. Sadly, we seem to be getting the message from the citadel that owing to the current global slump, the light at the end of the tunnel has been temporarily switched off. We await further news...........

Oh! But I digress. The medal that Johnny is getting while he keeps a real Statesman waiting in a hotel?

Why, its the Presidential Medal of Freedom stupid!