Howard's address to the National Press Club
Here it is. About all that can be said about it is that John Howard makes George Bush look like someone who is honest and open with his people. This version includes the damning question-and-answers session that followed. The venue was moved from the press club to Parliament House because Howard was aware there would be protests outside the club. Besides, if you invent a security problem that increases the drama and perhaps the media will not ask any difficult questions.

Read what Howard said at the departure of HMAS Kanimbla on 23 January or what he told Parliament on 4 February. We had a promise that if war there was needed there would be a full parliamentary debate. We might now be hours away from war and that debate has not taken place. Howard promised that yesterday's speech would contain new information justifying the Iraq deployment. No-one in Australia apart from the prime minister believes that, so this morning we learnt that the government (yet again) has new intelligence that justifies the war. If we had it yesterday why not speak it yesterday?

There is an urgent need to amend S68 of the constitution so that the war-making power is transferred from the prime minister to the parliament where it always belonged. It is notable that Britain and Australia, the two nations prepared to send military forces to the coalition of the willing, both allow their prime ministers to commit forces to battle without a parliamentary vote. It is doubtful Blair could get consent from the house of commons and it is certain that Howard could not get consent from the senate.