The Howard Years
More than a year has passed since the political demise of , an anniversary marked by the ABC, the national broadcaster, with its landmark television history, .
Famously crotchety, Mr Howard vilified and mistrusted the ABC for what he perceived as its institutional left-wing bias. But he agreed to sit for hours of insightful interviews, as did most of his former senior colleagues (a notable exception being the Liberals' present leader, Malcolm Turnbull).
Striving for balance, the four-part series portrayed Mr Howard as politically and physically courageous in confronting gun owners after the in Tasmania - he was instructed to wear a bullet-proof vest when he addressed one hostile outdoor crowd - but reticent and timid towards the right-wing demagogue Pauline Hanson. Mr Howard waited seven months before delivering a rebuttal to Hanson's , in which she complained that Australia was in danger of being swamped by Asians - which the programme showed as having angered many of his senior colleagues who were much quicker to speak out. (The former foreign affairs minister Alexander Downer says that the only time he was reprimanded by Mr Howard was when he made a speech denouncing Hanson. According to Downer, the prime minister complained that it highlighted his decision not to do so).
The series showed him to be a central and forward-thinking figure in the , and an early champion of the right to self-determination, a major shift in . But it also chronicled his lack of sympathy to asylum seekers heading for Australian shores, and reinforced the long-standing criticism from human rights groups that was borne out of political cynicism and opportunism. Fresh evidence also came to light concerning the notorious before the 2001 election. What the Howard government touted as pictures purportedly showing the children of asylum seekers being thrown overboard by their asylum-seeking parents were, in reality, photographs of them being rescued. No children were thrown overboard in a ploy by their parents to gain admission into Australia.
The series portrayed Mr Howard as determined to curb the power of the unions but suggested he pushed his reform agenda too far. The much-hated workplace reforms, called Workchoices, violated Australia's unwritten fairness doctrine, it implied. Still, the introduction of the , was presented as a political triumph, and a very brave one at that.
On indigenous affairs, the programme portrayed him as having a tin ear and a closed mind when it came to apologising to Aboriginal Australians, although there was evidence to suggest that was well-intentioned. Mal Brough, his Indigenous Affairs Minister, broke down in tears as he described the former government's motivations.
The Howard Years showed the almost umbilical relationship with George W. Bush, which became even more intimate after 9/11 when the Australian prime minister . The series dealt with his well-known scepticism towards climate change, of which more below.
The Howard Years showed that Australia's second longest serving prime minister was blessed by weak Labor opponents and a hesitant internal rival. Interviewed at length, the came across as a broken man, his prime ministerial ambitions thwarted constantly by a politician who was much more cunning, bold and intimidating. John Howard achieved much of his political dominance, it seems, partly because his cabinet colleagues were cowered by his intellect, unswerving determination and temper.
The most enlightening and certainly the most entertaining part of the series was its opening sequence. Asked to sum up Mr Howard in a single word, his former colleagues came up with "tenacious", "determined", "conviction", "magnificent" (George W. Bush said he was "reliable", while Tony Blair came up with "strong"). But all the time, the film kept on cutting back to Peter Costello, who seemed in an unhappy state of verbal constipation as he struggled to find a word. Eventually, he came up with "relentless", which along with his earlier reticence, spoke volumes about the dysfunctional relationship which lay at the heart of the 11-year government.
ABC has delivered an assessment of The Howard Years. How were they for you?
PS: Thanks for your lively comments on Kevin Rudd's green credentials, which some clearly believe marks a continuation of the Howard years. On the per capita argument: Kevin Rudd argued that if you look at the planned cuts in emissions they compare favourably with Europe; it's by no means clear-cut. The best summation I've come across is the piece .
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