"John Howard leads the most ideologically combative government in the nation's history," Professor Robert Manne. (June 17, 2006)

    Robert Manne, is professor of history at La Trobe University. In an opinion piece in today's Age newspaper, "PM's Contempt for the ABC" he discusses the appointment of the right-wing extremist historian Keith Windschuttle's appointment to the board of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

But what is of direct interest to TFW is Professor Manne's rhetorical question toward the end of his article, "Why has so extreme and combative a figure as Windschuttle been appointed to the board?" He answers with the following paragraph. It would seem to go a long way to illuminating the Coalition government's treatment of the university sector.

Even now relatively few Australians realise that John Howard leads the most ideologically combative government in the nation's history. Even though it has won four elections; even though the Labor Opposition is demoralised; even though the Murdoch press and talk radio now operate as a kind of permanent hallelujah chorus extolling its virtues; even though the ABC has in general learned to be compliant, the Government is infuriated that there still exist small groups of political dissenters broadcasting from obscure corners at the ABC.