Howard clearing the decks for election

AdelaideNow... Howard clearing the decks for election: "'Obviously, by definition it's getting closer,' he said on Southern Cross radio this morning."

You have to wonder , don't you? This is our leader speaking about a federal election. How little is he? I think his problem is that he has thoroughly enjoyed being the Prime Minister of Australia. He is active and alert and has enjoyed all the plotting, planning, interfering and bossing people around. He has grown in the role and he has made it very much his own...the problem being , of course, is that we live in a democracy and he is running out of time whether he wins again or not. He is not going to be the Prime Minister of Australia, a job he has lived, breathed and loved. He doesn't want to let go, so we have the little kid games as he tries to deal with it all psychologically. In the meantime we are a ship afloat not particularly going anywhere and no-one can really get their teeth into anything. We are well and truly ready to move on because we have changed. We need leadership which reflects our change and which can take us forward with confidence and strength into an international arena which cares about human beings, equity, the environment a place for the modern woman...in short , a government which can take us into the future instead of constantly spinning us back into the past....and we do need to say sorry to the Aborigines, not because we feel responsible, but as a mark of respect in terms of acknowledging their suffering and demise when white people settled their country. If we say sorry , it means we have noticed and we want them to be a part of us so that we walk alongside them and they walk alongside us. That's why we need to change now, because we are fed up with singling out different groups....so , we'll hang about waiting, shall we?