What a grab-bag of nonsense and prejudices. Is this what passes for reportage in the UK? The 'many' Australians doing the squirming are as ill-informed as the writer of this article, as both economic and humanitarian indicators (unemployment at 30 yr lows, inflation at 2.? %, and very high per capita migrant and refugee intakes, etc. etc.) suggest that the majority who've been grateful for the 4 terms (and counting) of Howard governments
have it right. Notwithstanding the whining and misrepresentations of the left and their sympathisers.

Olrence, Perth, Australia

Things must be really bad in Londonistan when a Times writer can get so much wrong, or is it plain ignorance.
Menzies retired in 1966, Mr Howard entered parliament in 1974. His Lazarus remark was made in about 1989. We keep voting him in because he doesn't have the charisma, but he does know how to run a country. Charisma seems to be important to the left but it is like Viagra, it works for a while, but then........

Hellen Barnaby, Perth, Western Australia.

Thisis the laziest opinion piece I've read this year. Apart from the howling factual errors, I was suprised to read that I was essentially living in a parallel universe populated by clones of Bazza Mackenzie, J Alfred Prufrock , Archie Bunker and that rude fellow from "Married with Children". But full credit to Ms Wheatley - at least she didn't call us "convicts".

Paul, Canberra, Australia

By the way, we do not squirm in embarrassment. Only your fellow lefty loonies squirm and it is out of jealousy not embarrassment. We need lefties like we need boils on our bum. Long live Mr Howard..

Hellen Barnaby, Perth, Western Australia.

If the basic facts are so wrong (Menzies retired in 1966, Howard was treasurer in Malcolm Fraser's government _ which was not at all right-wing, and the Lazarus pronouncement was made years before 1996), can we take any of the conclusions seriously?

Big Al, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Both Ms Wheatley and Richard from Cherrybrook have got it wrong. Menzies retired in January 1966.

ray, Concord, NSW, Australia

Someone please inform Ms Wheatley that saying Howard is anti-"liberal" principles sounds very odd given that he leads the Libera;l Party of Australia. How about replacing "liberal" with "left-wing", which is (a) more globally transferable and (b) more neutral (you can be "anti-left-wing", but "anti-liberal" or "illiberal" is a boo-hiss word. In fact, many of Howard's most vehement haters would themselves dearly love to regulate and impose "sameness" on the Australian electorate - just in their own direction. No wonder he keeps winning elections.

(And I'm an Aust Labor Party member!)

Tom, New South Wales, Australia

Menzies actually retired on Australia day (26 January) 1966. This article presents a caricature of Howard which does not bear up to much scrutiny. The Australian commentariat may view Australia as a place where “prejudice lurks, intolerance thrives and sameness is celebrated” but there is a great deal of projection in this comment. The commentariat cannot abide someone who does not share their prejudices and who does not promote their pet issues when in power. In the run up to the republic referendum (at which Howard supported the monarchy) every newspaper in the country and virtually every high profile commentator advocated a republic. Howard was pilloried for taking a different stance, and what grieves these people so much is that most Australians agreed with the PM and not them. Howard's stance on this and other issues has contributed to the fact that there is now greater debate and less conformity in the Australian press for many decades.

Matthew, Greenford, UK

I shall be voting for Mr Howard in the next election. He believes in "Australia" patriotism and common sense.His economic credentials are tops He is a strong man experienced in a troubled world.cushoning the Australian economy against the effects of India and China. we don't want a world of Mr Blair{Iraq apart} of "free for all immigration,"rising crime rate.done nothing for his country. Both men followed the economic groundwork of Mrs Thatcher.Mr Howard recognises that fact. Mr Blair or Mr Brown's economic achievments are more to do with Mrs Thatcher and less to do with them. Unfortunately after 10 years Most people want a change of face or style.Chirac.Blair and probably Howard are the current examples. Mr Rudd seems to be learning the art of 'spin" but waiting in the wings, that will no doubt turn Australia "backwards" is the deputy oppostion leader Julie Gillard, left wing and out of date , living in the past of Britain of the 60's and 70's"Better the devil you know " etc

hugh dickinson, Perth, western Australia

Ms. Wheatley is stronger on contemporary affairs than on history. Menzies retired in 1968, long before Howard entered parliament. Howard was treasurer under Fraser, probably the most left-wing PM the Liberal party has ever had.

Richard, Cherrybrook, NSW

"rejecting liberal reforms and social change"

What an ignorant and spiteful little piece. Aside from the obvious errors of fact (well, obvious to anyone vaguely familiar with Australian politics), it simply doesn't describe anything that someone living in Australia actually experiences. "Squirming in embarrassment"??? Do you know how many times the man has been re-elected?

For anyone who is interested, we actually are a liberal country. Probably the most liberal one I have ever visited. Maybe one day we will be blessed with a leader as sincere and successful as Tony Blia- sorry Blair. By the way, welcome Daniel. I worked in Bradford once and can understand your relief.

Mark, Sydney, NSW

Hear! Hear! Thank God Daniel Robson, the miserable tyke, has buggered off to Victoria!

Marko, London,

Your profile has a number of basic errors.

John Howard was elected in the May 1974 general election, when the Whitlam Labor government was re-elected. Malcolm Fraser's Liberal government took office in 1975 after the dismissal of Whitlam on 11 November. Howard was appointed Treasurer by Fraser in December 1977 after a period as a junior minister. Robert Menzies, founder of the Liberal Party, retired as Prime Minister in 1966, after 16 years in office. He died in 1978.

Bob, Canberra,

As an Englishman from Bradford who has been in Melbourne since 2001, I can say... thank God i'm here!

Daniel Robson, Melbourne, Australia

Howard, for all his whiney voice has guts, and Australians like him for that. Against all the voices of the left he banned hand guns in Australia after a terrible event at Port Arthur; he stopped union power in its tracks; stopped thousands of illegal immigrants arriving on boats from Indonesia; and has run a successful economy for a decade. Australia is learning from Britian what a failed immigration policy does to a country. We are learning from France what too many muslims do to a country and we are not going to make the same mistakes. Labor may win the next election, but Australia has turned to the right and is prepared to support America in a war that is not our own, because Britian never sent one ship when the Japanese were on our doorstep. The Yanks came when our old mother country wanted to keep our troops in Europe rather than let them protect their own country. We don't forget our friends when they need help even if their logic needs questioning.

Peter Gallagher, Brisbane, Australia