John Howard, former Australian Prime Minister, dodges shoes hurled at him on television
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[quote=ABC News]John Howard fronted an at times irate audience on ABC 1's [URL="http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/"]Q&A[/URL] program last night, facing questions on the major issues that defined his time as prime minister.
The wide-ranging interview focused heavily on the more controversial aspects of Mr Howard's tenure, with questions on the Iraq War, children overboard affair, Indigenous policy and his relationship with Peter Costello dominating the program.
[B]At times the tension in the room was palpable, with an audience member throwing his shoes at Mr Howard while the former prime minister was defending his decision to send Australian troops to Iraq.[/B]
[B]The shoes missed Mr Howard and the man who threw them was removed from the studio, while the former prime minister appeared unruffled by the incident.[/B]
He also received a video question from former Guantanamo Bay detainee David Hicks, who asked him if he stood by his support of the system that saw Mr Hicks imprisoned for over five years.
But as with many of his answers the former prime minister held firm on his actions regarding Mr Hicks.
"In relation to the military commissions, we put a lot of pressure on the Americans to accelerate the charges being brought against David Hicks, and I remind the people watching this program that David Hicks did plead guilty to a series of offences," he said.
"David Hicks trained with Taliban, David Hicks was associated with groups that were behaving in a manner that was completely opposed to the interests of this country, and the idea that we should see him as a hero is very misplaced."
He also defended his decision to send Australian troops into Afghanistan and Iraq, using the justification of weapons of mass destruction.
"It's all very well to sneer, but if you have evidence - material presented to you - indicating that those weapons do exist and you ignore that and subsequently they are used against you, then you have every right to be condemned as having neglected the interests of the country," he said.
"I will continue to defend, as I extensively do in my book, the original decision on the basis it was taken."
On the issue of asylum seekers, Mr Howard denied his policy was racist, after an audience member said at the time of the 2001 election she had felt ashamed to be Australian.
"If you have a capacity to take a fixed number of refugees a year... and if people come here in an irregular way and they knock out of the refugee intake a place that would otherwise go to somebody that has waited patiently for their turn, don't you think that's a tad unfair on the people who have waited patiently?" he said.
The former prime minister memoirs go on sale today, and coverage in the lead-up to the release has focused on the leadership tension between him and his deputy Peter Costello.
On his decision to contest the 2007 election Mr Howard remained unrepentant, saying he only decided against retiring in 2006 after the release of a story alleging he reneged on a deal to hand power to Mr Costello in 1998.
"I didn't want a situation where it looked as though I was being forced out because I'd behaved in a dishonourable fashion - I don't think that's being ego[tistical], I think that that's being human," he said.
He also delivered a critique of the state of federal politics since the 2007 election, maintaining Kevin Rudd would have won the last election with a full majority.
But Mr Howard said Mr Rudd's decision to delay an emissions trading scheme was his biggest mistake, as "the most important thing to do as a leader is to stick to what you believe in".
"The worst mistake Kevin Rudd ever made was to go to water on the emissions trading system," he said.
While saying it was too early to pass judgement on Julia Gillard's performance as Prime Minister, he commended Opposition Leader Tony Abbott as a Liberal hero, and the only person fit to lead the Coalition to the next Federal election.
"I think the Liberal Party would be mad to have anybody else... I think Tony Abbott has earnt the right to lead the party without challenge to the next election."[/quote]
The only important parts are bolded. The rest is usual political bullshit.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IP1I1layfxo[/media]
This guy has nothing on the Bush one.
They need to make special throw-able shoes, just for politicians.
Then they should make them explode.
Guy that threw the shoes. :v:
[img]http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/201010/r662030_4747858.jpg[/img]
I love how in America, the guy who threw the shoes was dragged off and taken by security. Australia on the other hand just gets a camera guy to come and show him the way out.
[QUOTE=Godzillarr;25652703]I love how in America, the guy who threw the shoes was dragged off and taken by security. Australia on the other hand just gets a camera guy to come and show him the way out.[/QUOTE]
They didn't throw a shoe at bush in the US
it was in iraq
Bush is better at dodging shoes.
I think Paul Keating (Some politician like that anyway) CAUGHT the thing someone threw at him.
And it wasn't a shoe, it was an egg! That's the way to do it.
[QUOTE=Godzillarr;25652703]I love how in America, the guy who threw the shoes was dragged off and taken by security. Australia on the other hand just gets a camera guy to come and show him the way out.[/QUOTE]
it was the fucking president retard
Man i wish Kevin Rudd didst sign the Kyoto protocol, now were going to pay through the ass for it. Its the only good thing Howard ever did (or didnt do)
[QUOTE=Superwafflez;25652696]Guy that threw the shoes. :v:
[img]http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/201010/r662030_4747858.jpg[/img][/QUOTE]
[img]http://thecia.com.au/reviews/j/images/joe-dirt-4.jpg[/img]
[QUOTE=Wii60;25652719]They didn't throw a shoe at bush in the US
it was in iraq[/QUOTE]
My mistake.
In Australia, they had to resort to throwing shoes because they banned everything else basically.
EDIT: I wasn't being all HURR DURR AUSTRALIA BAN.
Referring to that in the US, the right to arms to revolt against incorrect government. Which sometimes doesn't turn out too well...
Australia has nothing but the power of voters, which hardly comes around.
and i don't see what was wrong with Howard, he was a good Prime Minister for his term, just that we like to bandwagon with everything the US does.
[QUOTE=Oddshot;25652761]I think Paul Keating (Some politician like that anyway) CAUGHT the thing someone threw at him.
And it wasn't a shoe, it was an egg! That's the way to do it.[/QUOTE]
John Hewson, he caught an egg that a member of staff threw at him, pretending to be part of the crowd at a rally, then said "Catch of the day!", then some bloke yelled "That's a duck egg". I presume duck eggs are harder to break or something.
he deserved it
johnny's reaction was funny
reminds me of my grandfather
[img]http://img.timeinc.net/time/daily/2009/0910/bush_sad_1009.jpg[/img]
Welcome to the club :(
Love how well he took it. Besides, that guy sucked at throwing, one of em didn't even reach him.
Did they give the guy his shoes back? It would kind of suck to have to walk home without them.
This isn't news. He didn't even dodge them. The news story is "Weak pansy guy can't throw shoes".
They need to make shoes more aerodynamic
[QUOTE=Squad;25656776]This isn't news. He didn't even dodge them. The news story is "Weak pansy guy can't throw shoes".[/QUOTE]
He does agree with the crowd that he throws like a girl in other news articles.
[IMG]http://blogs.e-rockford.com/applesauce/files/2010/08/george-w-bush.jpg[/IMG]
[B]I feel you man.[/B]
dear god one of those shoes almost nearly came close to him
Worst aim ever.
[QUOTE=Magick;25656437]Did they give the guy his shoes back? It would kind of suck to have to walk home without them.[/QUOTE]
They didn't. According to "The Advertiser", he asked ABC staff for them back, and he refused. Serves him right for being such a dickhead.
The guy who threw the shoes could've been more of a man about it, look at the second throw as he looks like a pussy. I like the response the bitch got though when she said Howard had blood on his hands.
I love Howard's smile after it though, it's like a DERP face.
Throwing shoes at politicians... should be made a sport.
[QUOTE=Godzillarr;25652703]I love how in America, the guy who threw the shoes was dragged off and taken by security. Australia on the other hand just gets a camera guy to come and show him the way out.[/QUOTE]
i love how one is the current(was at the time) president and the other is a former prime minister
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