The Dead Roo

John Howard demands that Australian states (and the judiciary) cede traditional constitutional powers to the federal executive to deal with emerging crises is inconsistent with his refusal to acknowledge the primacy of the UN, along with associated international treaties and conventions.  He must either acknowledge his hypocrisy, change his stances so they are consistent, or acknowledge his failure to understand simple issues of legal and political philosophy.

Howard is currently (or intimates his intention of) seeking a number of new powers. He wants the judiciary, against all tradition, to grant the executive power to constrain liberties without reference to criminal courts (Thomas v Commonwealth, currently in the High Court).  He seeks or has taken (from the states) effective control over land and water use, workplaces, education, and possibly the installation of nuclear plants.

Upon resistance to these power-grabs, Howard berates others for ignoring the big picture, the nature of emerging crises that were not foreseen when our constitution was created, and the petty retention of powers by the states against the larger national interest.

At the same time, despite the obvious climate crisis, Howard places the local, short-term national interest ahead of the global (and long-term Australian) interests, thumbing his nose at the UN, as well as the primacy of other international treaties and conventions.

If ever John Howard believes he should grab power from unwilling states (directly, or by artifical extension of existing powers, such as using Corporations powers to control workplaces, or changing funding arrangements to control health and education), he should acknowledge the right of the UN General Assembly to grab power from unwilling individual nation states.

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