Get your booty... controversial Aussie ex-PM, John Howard
Controversial former Australian PM had a boot thrown at him at the Union last week.
An unknown male HURLED the offending object at John Howard while he spoke in the Union’s debating chamber on Friday, The Tab can reveal.
John Howard’s aggressive policies sparked controversy during his 12-year term of office particularly those aimed at immigrants and the aborigine community.
Eyewitness Matthew Jago revealed that when John Howard entered the room a white male with a long blond ponytail stood up and shouted, “Racist” and then sat back down again.
The assailant is reported to have been JUMPY and VISIBLY ANGRY but “he didn’t really seem to know what he should do.”
When John Howard introduced himself with the comment that he had been Australia’s Prime Minister for 12 years the man jumped again and yelled, “I was ashamed to be an Australian for that entire time, racist.”
After this he was asked to the leave the Union but he refused and took off his Doc Martin boot and attempted to throw it at the former head of government.
Senior Union members managed to intercept the boot and the man was escorted out.
Union President, Julien Domercq expressed regret at the incident and confirmed that the Union could not condone such behaviour.
He said, "The Union is a forum for open discussion and debate, offering members a safe environment in which to express their opinions freely. We of course hope that these channels of discourse remain mutually respectful and take place in an intellectual and rational way."
Although Union representatives could not comment on specific security cases, they confirmed that they "have robust procedures in place, which are implemented by experienced professionals, to ensure that all our high profile guests are safe when they speak at the Union."
An source said, "The shoe thrower was obviously a total idiot -he threw it at the start of the talk, before even hearing what Mr Howard had to say. His throw was pathetic – and was easily stopped – and he even had the cheek to come back in afterwards and ask for his shoe back."
It is reported that some audience members were confused by the whole affair while others told the man to get out.
Jago says, “It was a bit embarrassing, he [the boot-thrower] obviously really cared but he didn’t make a point or ask John Howard specific questions.”
One Cambridge student posted on their Twitter page, "Saw an angry Australian chuck a shoe at John Howard earlier, was perhaps the worst throw ever- and they wonder why they lost the Ashes…"
After receiving an apology from a Union representative, John Howard is reported to have made light of the situation and carried on with his speech.
Domercq told The Tab, "[we] admire the good grace with which he handled the incident."
The incident comes just a day after British MP, Denis MacShane's racist comments at the Union during a debate on the Middle East.
Shoe throwing seems to be becoming a fashion amongst student protestors in Cambridge.
Grad student, Martin Jahnke, earlier this year threw his shoe Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao during a speech at the West Road Concert Hall.
Kudos to the boot thrower! Shame on Cambridge for asking this creep to speak! He should be arrested and charged with aiding and abetting American war crimes. John Howard was the most devisive, deceitful and self-serving PM Australia has ever had. If he represents "leadership" then George W. Bush represents intellectual depth.
I am an Australian and I am proud of the shoe thrower.
Joh Howard spent 12 years transforming Australia into one of the most racist societies upon the Earth. Under his watch, we had race riots. Under his watch, we had demonisation of Muslims and minorities. Under his watch, kindergarten aged children of refugees were locked up in prison in Villawood for years at a time. Under his watch, we had Sudanese refugees being beaten to death.
My regret is that the thrower failed to use something significantly more harmful.
In 1994, under the Keating Labor government, there were 350 children in detention. Why is it worse when conservatives do it?
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This post was mentioned on Twitter by pikeletandpie: My mate threw his shoe at John Howard in Cambridge a few days ago. Go Zach! http://bit.ly/4cnDDB...
I
have lived in Australia my whole life and I tell you John Howard has been the best Prime Minister I have experienced. Racist??? I don’t know what that pony tail kid was talking about, what is he talking about? illegal immigrants must find legal ways to enter the country, There are a heap of proper immigrants in the country as well?.
The real Australians(Aboriginals) in some areas of the country have to be generalised and need to have their own laws as they do not live in the same conditions as the rest of the country. For example in the Northern Territory the majority of real Australians do not have jobs and are almost drinking themselves to death and have issues to insestial rapes. John Howard helped getting these people off the dirt roads, giving them community housing (more than 30 people living in large housing) giving them a pension and banning alcohol from the high risk areas.
Good on you John Howard, their lives are better for it.
May be all fascist and racist politicians can talk to 'bare foot' audience only.
Well done Aussie!
Good on you unknown male
What an idiot! As another Aussie travelling abroad, I have a request. Would you guys mind keeping this goose over here.
He is typical of many left wing students back in Australia – that is, full of enthusiam to follow the next lemming off the cliff.
Also, if someone could find out his name, I'm sure we could all give him the attention he so craves.
I'm sure that my friends and I in Australia will raise enough in donations to buy this guy a whole truck load of replacement shoes:)
Good on him.
I believe that reasonable actions had always been made during John Howards term.
I am aware that Australia has had a part of the war against terrorism. But you know what, Kevin Rudd would have done the same thing, It is stupid not to aid your Allies, there will be a day when Australia needs backup and America will have our backs.
Your either with them or against them, and that is why the UK is also with them.
Please read an idiotic story below yours comments by Jack Kiss
John Howard dishonestly accused me of spying (for unknown country) on 25 nov 2006 over the phone at Redfern police station, Sydney after Federal nad NSW State police broke into my appartment.
This story is so deranged that any one who can uncover the truth should become a rich person.
There are not many such idiotic stories exist in the world.
Good on him, He is not the only ashamed to be an Aussie under Howard
There are many downunder who hopes the next boot is an 18 holer with a steel toecap and hits Howard fair square in his lying, conniving, racist kisser.
Whats the throwers name and where can we contribute to his legal costs?
I am another Aussie who was ashamed of my nation every day that the ratbag, racist was PM.
I'm also ashamed that Terry and boot-guy are Australians.
Any honest appraisal of John Howard's government would concede that his most controversial policies fell into two camps: those that were a continuance of the previous Labor government's policy (mandatory detention for those entering the country illegally, and a boots & all support of the US-Australian alliance); and those that the the Rudd government has continued (the intervention into failed Aboriginal communities, and the Pacific Solution, now re-branded as the Indonesian Solution).
Of course the "I'm ashamed to be Australian" types aren't interested in honest appraisals, just labels and party tribalism. If Gandhi was leading the conservative opposition, and Martin Bormann was Labor PM, Terry and his mates would be telling us what a right-wing monster Mohandas is, and how Marti's race laws are so much more humane than the Howard government.
So tell me one Howard policy that hasn't existed under Keating or Rudd, or would not of existed under a Beazley government.
Oh I have more to say..
Richard above typifies the sort of shit we've had to deal with. He has a go at doing the right thing by calling Aboriginals "real australians", but then repeats the myth that there was 'rape and incest'. Richard, that was invented by the howard government. Study after study since has demonstrated that the "sexual abuse" problem in aboriginal communities is no more serious than in white communities or any other community. Basically its fucking everywhere, and thus sending in the army into posh sydney suburbs makes just as much sense. Howard boasted about "creating community housing", but not a single house was ever built under the intervention, although many where kicked out of their homes that they had owned and built with their own hands. Under the intervention health clinics and job programs where shut down all over the NT. Almost all measurements of unemployment, alcoholism and criminal behavior have gotten worse, and worst of all, because howard excempted aboriginals from protection under the racial discrimination act, aboriginals have no recourse to legally demand their rights. Because as soon as that act was repealed howards government started reposessing aboriginal land and selling it to mining companies, in some cases land owned and paid for by aboriginal families.
The intervention is a human rights disaster, even more astonishing in that it happened in the 21st century in a first world country.
Part 1
Shayne you are a clueless wonder – in future do not attempt to pass of your ad hominus comments as facts – they are discriminatory, offensive, and sanctimoniously and piously embarrassing. And worst of all, your comments about the aboriginals are not just ignorant, but 100% wrong.
As someone who has worked in aboriginal communities in the NT and still has relatives who work there, your 'version' of how things are, is as real as Santa coming down the chimney. To other people who may read this, ignore this clown Shayne, his opinions are based on his ignorant fantasies.
Shayne, do you really think you are going to help one child by saying they are not being abused that bad because other kids in Australia are also being abused. One child being abused is one too many Shayne, and to protect one child from being abused, I would send in the army.
Part 2
As it is, your made up 'study after study' is also baloney. The aboriginals are living in third world conditions, created after studies were given to Gough Whitlam advocating 'sit down money' as the cure to all aboriginal ills.
Howard was the first Prime Minister to provide these kids hope with his intervening actions. Do you know what the aboriginals didn't care about – the apology. They could not care less as it never changed their lives. Think I am lying, go and find out for yourselves by visiting these communities. DO NOT RELY ON HEARING SECOND HAND INFO FROM ACADEMICS!
Shayne, I know why you take your perspective – so you can pursue a political agenda. Do not sacrifice (verbally) future aboriginal kids innocence at your alter of political expediency. You are a disgrace for doing it.
If by chance you really want to experience what is really going on in the aboriginal communities, respond on this site and we will tee it up. Then in future, at least you will be able to talk from experience, and not from political wishful thinking. I have no
doubt you won't, as you are a complete and utter phoney!
I am & was proud to be an Austraian under Howard. Hopefully the left wing boot thrower will continue to live a life of misery blaming evreyone but themselevs for the issues at hand in the world with illegal immigration and poverty.
Anyone who believes he is not racist is kidding themselves, and clearly does not have any kid of grasp on reality. I only wish I could have been there to witness it – I would have thrown my shoe too!
He once said he didn't care to learn about the Indigenous communities of Australia because he didn't grow up in a world where you bothered to learn about them – Hello… You were PM of the country for 12 years and you made decisions (All bad ones…) about Indigenous peoples lives – how could you not learn when you're making choices about our lives?! Choices we didn't even ask you to make!
and also richard – Shayne is right, my mother leaked information about it all being made up and fabricated because it was HER BOSS that went on Lateline as the "anon youth worker" he was no youth worker – he was a Assistant Secretary to the Office of Indigenous Policy Co-Ordination! And she got convicted with the crime of leaking info about the lies the government was spreading! so get your facts straight before you make your useless comments. perhaps then they would be more useful.
Here is the report which lead to federal government intervention in Northern Territory Aboriginal communities.
Shayne's claim that "Study after study since has demonstrated that the 'sexual abuse' problem in aboriginal communities is no more serious than in white communities," is an out and out lie. No such studies exist, and until now, I've never heard anyone utter such denialist rubbish.
Some politicians are not worth of loosing boots, specially Doc Martens brand!
We, Aussies better use our traditional boomerang! Atleast they comback if they didn't knock down 'the racist'.