Hoping Howard Way Will Rub Off On Them

by Malcolm Farr - Daily Telegraph

Every conservative in North America seems to want a John Howard - as if he were a computer game all the neighbourhood kids were busting to own: "Thanks, Mum. I've wanted a Howard for years. I can't wait to tell the democratic socialists and their lefty mates."

The Australian Prime Minister has become an emblem of conservative success to be worn with pride.
He not only has followed the right's broad international path, he has stayed in power for 10 years by doing so.

The lust for Howard has eased now he is in Dublin. The Irish tend to offer generous, sincere hospitality rather than cranked-up ego stroking.

The PM's visit to Ireland can be justified at a basic level which does not necessarily, or immediately, have a dollars and cents payout or dividend.

State premiers of both major parties eventually go to Greece on official visits because, traditionally, Greek Australians have been a significant influence on electoral movements. Paying homage to the old country is part of the duty of state leaders and, to a lesser extent, federal leaders.

Federal leaders have to visit Ireland for much the same reasons Athens is a destination for state colleagues.

Things are slightly different in John Howard's current visit to Dublin.

The Irish have economic achievements any country would be wise to consider.

However, John Howard is in Ireland primarily because it is a visit a Prime Minister has to make, sooner or later. And few fail to enjoy it.

But back to John Howard the torchbearer, rather than John Howard the tourist.

Not many conservatives have managed what the Prime Minister has in government and those denied want to know his secret, to learn the political alchemy involved in balancing budgets, cutting welfare, invading Iraq, and staying in power.

Despite Australia's relatively small size and almost comic-book characterisation throughout the world, Howard has emerged as an exemplar for a section of global politics - a role model for emerging conservative leaders and a mate for struggling ideological contemporaries.

All of which may make many Australians giggle a bit. Who could imagine our John Howard as a dynamic manifestation of an international movement?

Part of this extraordinary reaction to Howard on his trip to the US and Canada was an appeal of the exotic and the one-dimensional appearance of a foreign leader.

Australia is a strange place still for many in North America and someone from our bit of the world is an attraction by his origins alone.

When a cabbie asks for a rendition Paul Hogan's "That's not a knife ..." cinema line, the average Australian has to pretend an Australian accent before the driver is satisfied.

Howard has that antipodean attraction, even if it operates only faintly among many he meets. For instance, George Bush has at least twice likened Australians to Texans, something which, he reminded the White House press corps last week, was a compliment.

Further, a travelling government leader is a statesman who talks about international affairs. He isn't the domestic version batting off complaints about the lack of childcare or sloppy handling of a soldiers death, or nagging over tax cuts.

The man's a global citizen who for the duration of a plane journey can leave such matters as debate over petrol prices to mere politicians.

A recent example of this transformation by travel was British Prime Minister Tony Blair who addressed Parliament in Canberra.

The political groupies were drooling over him, his every word was assessed as brilliant, his manner was marked as beyond charismatic.

Back home in London, however, Blair was in big trouble with voters and his own party and in fact was under great pressure to ease himself out of the leadership altogether.

No wonder he enjoyed himself in Australia where he was being glorified.

Howard has benefited from great PR men, flacks who have the position and the gab to make sure the Australian is presented in a good light.

George Bush told the blokey jokes about Howard being bald and not very pretty, but he also praised his honesty and courage and said he thought Howard would still be in power when he himself had gone. Meanwhile Stephen Harper, 47, Prime Minister of Canada, delivered a good line about his relief in Howard not telling him he was too young for the job.

You don't need to have speech writers with these two straight men around.

There has been nothing in this trip to indicate Howard is near retirement. Nothing from his public and private manner indicates he is slowly furling the banner.

He indeed is an elder statesman for many conservative politicians but if Howard has received any message from them over the past week, it is to stay on to help maintain the right's rage.