101usesforajohnhoward.com

In the March 1996 Federal elections, John Howard’s Liberal-National Party came into power, through a majority of its members in the House of Representatives. The Liberal Party, under his leadership, promised to reduce the heavy debt that the government has accumulated.

When Howard became Prime Minister, he worked on a number of policies including:

A government legislation restricting indigenous’ people’s access to leasehold lands and  authenticate leaseholder title.

A legislation replacing industry-wide agreements on work conditions and wages with agreements between employers and individual workers.

The ‘work for dole’ scheme which linked a recipient’s willingness to work and his unemployment relief.

The establishment of a part-elected, part-appointed convention on the subject of Australia being converted to a republic. The body then submitted a referendum about the subject in November of 1999. The referendum, however, together with a proposal to add a Preamble to the country’s constitution, was not approved.

Environmental protection funding by privatizing Telstra, a communications corporation partially owned by the government. In June 1999, the Senate approved the sale of 49.9% of the said company.

Taxation system reform via the introduction of consumption tax, also known as GST or ‘Goods and Services’ Tax. This legislation was then accepted by the senate in June of 1999.

A focus on regional and domestic security which included an increased funding for aviation, border security, maritime security and intelligence agencies.

Free trade agreement negotiations with the U.S. I 2004, as well as the pursuit of a more close economic agreement with Asia Pacific countries.

Establishment of government bodies to work on resolving the problem of prolonged and severe drought in the country.

Howard’s position as Prime Minister ended in the election of November 2007, when the Labor Party (under the leadership of Kevin Rudd) defeated Howard’s Coalition.

John Howard’s political career and activities were a major contribution to the government’s history.

John Howard’s government career started after being elected into the House of Representatives in the 1974 elections. Following his election, he then became a Liberal member for the Bennelong Sidney seat. In December of 1975, Howard became a Minister for the first time, and took responsibility for consumers affairs and business. He held the position for two years and then changed job responsibilities when he served as the  Prime Minister’s assistant. He later became the Minister for Special Trade Negotiation and Treasurer. He serves as Treasurer for over five years until 1983.

In the next 13 years, Howard worked under the shadow ministry. For 2 years, he served as Deputy Leader for the Liberal Party and Shadow Treasurer. He then replaced Andrew Peacock as the Opposition’s Leader on September 1985.  Because of the change in the opposition’s leadership, as well as the  rivalry between Peacock and Howard,  the rise of a new group of supporters began. These supporters believed in the ‘economic rationalist’ philosophy (‘dry’ ideology) within the Liberal Party. It came to a point where these ‘dry’ ideology supporters became more dominant than those who were supporters of the ‘wet’ ideology (group of people who were more focused on issues like social justice and other minor liberal concerns).

Howard led the Liberal political party in the 1987 election, where they lost. He continued to be in that position for 2 more years, then was replaced by Peacock in 1989. In 1995, at a time when the Liberal party was in disorder, Howard became Leader again. Under his leadership, the opposition began a campaign on a promise of significantly reducing the heavy debt carried by the Commonwealth.

As Edmund Barton and Alfred Deakin and all the others gathered here a hundred years ago there was no way that they could predict what lay in front of Australia. They would not have foreseen that within fewer than 20 years 60,000 out of a male population of 2.5 million would die in a horrible war. They would not have foreseen the Great Depression. They would not have foreseen the social changes. They would not have seen the determination of later generations to overturn the White Australia policy, regarded by those generations as morally repugnant. They would not have foreseen the technological and fashion changes that were to occur. And indeed if they were to return to our gathering today they would find much that was unfamiliar.

But if they were to move amongst us and talk to us they would find some things that were very familiar. They would find that we were still a federation, and that what they gifted us in the constitutional sense had worked. They would find that some of those fundamental values that helped cement the federation remain. They would find that we were still an egalitarian society. They would find that we were still a nation that sought to give basic national standards for all of our citizens. They would find that we were a nation that pulled together in time of adversity and that we had a great volunteer spirit. and they would hear wonderful stories of how the volunteers did us proud at the Sydney Olympic Games.

They would find as we were in the 19th Century an innovative, can-do society. And they would find that over the last 100 years creating a climate where individuals could strive and achieve and where the family unit was the most cohesive element in our society, had remained true and constant.

And perhaps this commonality of values amidst a sea of change in other areas gives us a clue about the next 100 years. We cannot imagine what will come the way of this nation over the next 100 years. We have no way of knowing. We can of course predict though that the application of the values that have served this country well over the last 100 years are likely to produce better outcomes than otherwise.

We know that we face a world which is increasingly borderless, a globalised world. We know that we face a society where medical science presents us with not only great ethical challenges but also enormous opportunities. We carry, as did the people of the last 100 years, a great responsibility to nurture and strengthen those constant Australian values. Only by preserving egalitarianism, only by preserving a society in which individuals can work hard and achieve, and where the family is honoured as a great national institution can we dare to hope to respond effectively to the challenges of the next 100 years.

The great challenge ahead of the Australian nation is to remain true to those values which Barton and Deakin would have identified amidst a world and a changed environment that would have been beyond their comprehension.

Source: http://australianpolitics.com/2001/05/09/howard-speech-to-ceremonial-federation-sitting.html

The Federal Government had announced changes to the immigration detention program, following negotiations with backbench Liberal members led by Petro Georgiou.

Howard said although there was strong support for visitors health insurance the existing policy, the government would take the opportunity to see it was administered more fairly, flexibly and in a timely manner. He said the Migration Act would be amended to allow families seeking asylum to be released from detention centres.

For detailed information read the full article http://australianpolitics.com/2005/06/17/howard-announces-changes-to-detention-policy.html

Australia is playing a leading role in the one of the biggest humanitarian operations since World War II, according to the Prime Minister, John Howard, patriot America insurance in his Address to the Nation.

Howard said: “This catastrophe has brought the world closer together in a spirit of common humanity. It has been a brutal reminder of the force of nature but also of the inspiring capacity of mankind to ease the suffering of others in their hour of need.”

Read the full article http://australianpolitics.com/2005/01/09/howard-address-to-nation-on-tsunami.html