The cunning and conniving Wiley Coyote of Australian politics is at it again by setting near-impossible requirements for the Great TV Leaders' Debate.In his bid to control the events leading up to election day on 24 November, Prime Minister John Howard is demanding :
1. There is only one televised debate between himself and Kevin Rudd.
2. The debate must put to air by Sky News, with full access by other networks.
3. The debate must be moderated by little-known Sky's David Speers.
4. There is no "worming" of a live audience to determine when the lies are coming thick and fast.
5. The debate must be held this coming Sunday.
6. The debate must be held in the Great Hall of Parliament.
7. There must a specially-selected and screened audience for the debate.
Plus another eight demands.
Fair dinkum, these demands are more like those coming from a right-wing military junta rather than from the supposed leader of a great democracy.
How stupid can you be - John Howard wants the debate BEFORE he has delivered his major policy launch.
The Labor Party is quite rightly demanding three televised debates so that the people of Australia can get a full appreciation of what the two leaders are offering.
Kevin Rudd should go ahead with the debate on Sunday and then arrange for the television networks to schedule two further debates during the course of the campaign and bugger John Howard if he doesn't want to participate.
If John Howard doesn't turn up, there should be a vacant chair on centre stage with his name on it, showing how gutless he was in not being prepared to debate Kevin Rudd more than once in the campaign.
Under those circumstances, you could bet London to a brick on, that John Howard would come scampering back at a hundred miles an hour to face the grim reality of his precarious political position.
How stupid can you be - John Howard wants the debate BEFORE he has delivered his major policy launch.
The Labor Party is quite rightly demanding three televised debates so that the people of Australia can get a full appreciation of what the two leaders are offering.
Kevin Rudd should go ahead with the debate on Sunday and then arrange for the television networks to schedule two further debates during the course of the campaign and bugger John Howard if he doesn't want to participate.
If John Howard doesn't turn up, there should be a vacant chair on centre stage with his name on it, showing how gutless he was in not being prepared to debate Kevin Rudd more than once in the campaign.
Under those circumstances, you could bet London to a brick on, that John Howard would come scampering back at a hundred miles an hour to face the grim reality of his precarious political position.
