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Where It All Went Wrong: The case against John Howard
On the thirtieth anniversary of John Howard coming to power, a searing analysis of the untouchable prime how the ‘great economic manager’ sold our future.
John Howard is often revered as one of the great Australian prime ministers (1996–2007): economically prudent, politically astute, ‘relaxed and comfortable’ with Australia’s identity, venerated by the Liberal Party and grudgingly admired by the left.
Why then – just twenty years after his government ended – are we in such a mess?
Amy Remeikis is one of our most astute and convincing political commentators, and here she argues for a complete revision of how we see Howard’s tenure, for the first time holding him to account for the future he created. Of our modern crises, most are caused by his policies. Housing crisis? Guilty. Work insecurity? Guilty. Giving away gas? Guilty. Climate denial? Guilty. Rise of the far right? Guilty. America's lapdog in foreign relations? Guilty. Jingoistic tracksuits and flag-wrapping? Guilty and convicted.
Far from being ‘great economic managers’, the Howard government bought boomer votes with franking credits and negative gearing, sacrificing the generations now inheriting the nation. They sold out their children and grandchildren for mining billionaires, investment properties and annual cruises.
Amy Remeikis is the highly informed voice of these dispossessed generations. In showing us where it all went wrong, she illuminates the path to a better future.
John Howard is often revered as one of the great Australian prime ministers (1996–2007): economically prudent, politically astute, ‘relaxed and comfortable’ with Australia’s identity, venerated by the Liberal Party and grudgingly admired by the left.
Why then – just twenty years after his government ended – are we in such a mess?
Amy Remeikis is one of our most astute and convincing political commentators, and here she argues for a complete revision of how we see Howard’s tenure, for the first time holding him to account for the future he created. Of our modern crises, most are caused by his policies. Housing crisis? Guilty. Work insecurity? Guilty. Giving away gas? Guilty. Climate denial? Guilty. Rise of the far right? Guilty. America's lapdog in foreign relations? Guilty. Jingoistic tracksuits and flag-wrapping? Guilty and convicted.
Far from being ‘great economic managers’, the Howard government bought boomer votes with franking credits and negative gearing, sacrificing the generations now inheriting the nation. They sold out their children and grandchildren for mining billionaires, investment properties and annual cruises.
Amy Remeikis is the highly informed voice of these dispossessed generations. In showing us where it all went wrong, she illuminates the path to a better future.
Audible Audio
Published February 23, 2026
About the author
Amy Remeikis
8 books26 followersAmy Remeikis is a political journalist, author and commentator who covered Parliament for the Guardian Australia and regularly appears on ABC radio and TV and The Project on Channel Ten. She is Chief Political Strategist at The Australia Institute.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
March 6, 2026
I am an American who didn't even know who John Howard was going into this. However, I will read any and everything Amy Remeikis writes and I recommend others do the same. This is well-researched, engaging, and enraging. For those that are saying it leans "too" angry - I recommend her upcoming book Screw Nice.
March 4, 2026
This book challenges the legacy of John Howard, who is considered by many to be 'Australia's Greatest Prime Minister'. It breaks down many of his 'achievements' and explains that they are either complete myths, or worse, are actually the genesis of so many of our problems today.
Let's start with the obvious one, that he and the LNP are 'superior economic managers'. Keating has described the 'double rainbow' Howard and Costello were smacked on the arse with, being global economic growth, and the property/mining boom happening at the same time. These economic factors were happening anyway regardless of who was in the drivers seat, so to give credit for economic growth to Howard is nonsensical. In fact, Australia UNDERPERFORMED against OECD growth rates during Howards era. This tells us he actually squandered the opportunity by choosing to line the pockets large businesses and the wealthy, rather than reinvesting in the country.
Speaking of - his introduction of the Capital Gains Tax discount has royally screwed the housing market. This coupled with free reign for investors to hoard properties using negative gearing to offset losses means generations (plural) will never own a house. The CGT discount remains to this day is probably the most damning thing Howard did.
There is a lot more. As CEO of culture wars and master of the dog whistle, under Howard there was a huge increase in the fetishisation of the flag, Australia Day, and Anzac Day. Remeikis points out the hypocrisy of Howard's suggestion that we as a nation should not take responsibility for our past sins, yet we are allowed to bask in the glory of our 'good' history.
Remeikis covers it all, migration, privatisation, industrial relations, our relationship with the US. The worst parts of each were instigated or accelerated by the Howard government.
I do try to think of myself as a pragmatic voter than can see all sides but honestly the more you think about it, the more difficult it is to identify anything positive the Coalition has contributed to Australian society over the last 40 years. Medicare, superannuation, floating the AUD was all Labor. Every 'achievement' of the coalition is either attributable to macro / global economic factors that would have occurred even if my dog was PM, or was a short term sugar hit that has come back to bite us.
Howard's legacy is creating a situation that has 1) forced the Coalition to implode on itself, and 2) forced Labor to become a centrist (at best) party. This is a grand success for elites and the wealthy, and nightmare for literally everyone else.
Chat are we cooked.
8/10 --> 4 stars.
Let's start with the obvious one, that he and the LNP are 'superior economic managers'. Keating has described the 'double rainbow' Howard and Costello were smacked on the arse with, being global economic growth, and the property/mining boom happening at the same time. These economic factors were happening anyway regardless of who was in the drivers seat, so to give credit for economic growth to Howard is nonsensical. In fact, Australia UNDERPERFORMED against OECD growth rates during Howards era. This tells us he actually squandered the opportunity by choosing to line the pockets large businesses and the wealthy, rather than reinvesting in the country.
Speaking of - his introduction of the Capital Gains Tax discount has royally screwed the housing market. This coupled with free reign for investors to hoard properties using negative gearing to offset losses means generations (plural) will never own a house. The CGT discount remains to this day is probably the most damning thing Howard did.
There is a lot more. As CEO of culture wars and master of the dog whistle, under Howard there was a huge increase in the fetishisation of the flag, Australia Day, and Anzac Day. Remeikis points out the hypocrisy of Howard's suggestion that we as a nation should not take responsibility for our past sins, yet we are allowed to bask in the glory of our 'good' history.
Remeikis covers it all, migration, privatisation, industrial relations, our relationship with the US. The worst parts of each were instigated or accelerated by the Howard government.
I do try to think of myself as a pragmatic voter than can see all sides but honestly the more you think about it, the more difficult it is to identify anything positive the Coalition has contributed to Australian society over the last 40 years. Medicare, superannuation, floating the AUD was all Labor. Every 'achievement' of the coalition is either attributable to macro / global economic factors that would have occurred even if my dog was PM, or was a short term sugar hit that has come back to bite us.
Howard's legacy is creating a situation that has 1) forced the Coalition to implode on itself, and 2) forced Labor to become a centrist (at best) party. This is a grand success for elites and the wealthy, and nightmare for literally everyone else.
Chat are we cooked.
8/10 --> 4 stars.
Review of advance copy
As someone in their early 40s, a self-described "Social Democrat," I agree with most of the book's broad arguments, albeit less stridently than Remeikis.
The book reads like a very well-written polemic, which may be its intent. Regardless, it should have aimed higher.
I understand that this book is intended for someone younger than me, who didn't come of age in the Howard era. However, the book requires sophisticated political knowledge, and those interested in reading it would likely already have a position on the Howard Government. Consequently, the book will not change anyone's opinion on the subject.
This book is also an argument for why the retrospective of a government, particularly one lasting 11 years, cannot be the size of a novella.
While the book does a sufficient job of placing Howard's legacy in the context of modern Australia, it does a poor job of placing its ideology and policy objectives in historical context. The book would be better served if it spent a few chapters at the beginning assessing how Howard was influenced by the governments of Thatcher and Reagan, the reforms of "Rogernomics" in New Zealand, and, yes, even the Hawke and Keating Governments.
This context is particularly lacking when the book describes the trajectory of social policy in Australia. It was the economic rationalist policies of Hawke and Keating that entrenched the free market in this country, and set the stage for Remeikis's criticisms of the decay in housing, childcare, health, education, and employment.
Of course, Howard continued to open these floodgates, adding even more water. As Remeikis writes, Howard also put his own ideological spin on Australian culture, shaping it and stamping his view of it on the historical record.
The book is at its best when discussing economic policy. The strength of that chapter summarises the work of earlier writers such as George Megalogenis and Paul Kelly, arguing that Howard's economic record is one of good fortune, rather than of good management, thanks to the efforts of his predecessors. The chapter stresses that Howard was in the right place at the right time. It's a point that could have been made more explicitly across the entire book.
There is no doubt that Howard remains the dominant figure who has shaped this generation. However, his influence was cemented through his political acumen rather than continuing policy reforms that had already begun across the globe. You can see flashes of a good book at times, but to do a proper job, its length needed to be doubled, or at the very least increased by a third. Context matters, especially when assessing a government one generation removed, which won four consecutive elections. For this reason, Remeikis only skims the surface of John Howard’s influence on Australian society.
The book reads like a very well-written polemic, which may be its intent. Regardless, it should have aimed higher.
I understand that this book is intended for someone younger than me, who didn't come of age in the Howard era. However, the book requires sophisticated political knowledge, and those interested in reading it would likely already have a position on the Howard Government. Consequently, the book will not change anyone's opinion on the subject.
This book is also an argument for why the retrospective of a government, particularly one lasting 11 years, cannot be the size of a novella.
While the book does a sufficient job of placing Howard's legacy in the context of modern Australia, it does a poor job of placing its ideology and policy objectives in historical context. The book would be better served if it spent a few chapters at the beginning assessing how Howard was influenced by the governments of Thatcher and Reagan, the reforms of "Rogernomics" in New Zealand, and, yes, even the Hawke and Keating Governments.
This context is particularly lacking when the book describes the trajectory of social policy in Australia. It was the economic rationalist policies of Hawke and Keating that entrenched the free market in this country, and set the stage for Remeikis's criticisms of the decay in housing, childcare, health, education, and employment.
Of course, Howard continued to open these floodgates, adding even more water. As Remeikis writes, Howard also put his own ideological spin on Australian culture, shaping it and stamping his view of it on the historical record.
The book is at its best when discussing economic policy. The strength of that chapter summarises the work of earlier writers such as George Megalogenis and Paul Kelly, arguing that Howard's economic record is one of good fortune, rather than of good management, thanks to the efforts of his predecessors. The chapter stresses that Howard was in the right place at the right time. It's a point that could have been made more explicitly across the entire book.
There is no doubt that Howard remains the dominant figure who has shaped this generation. However, his influence was cemented through his political acumen rather than continuing policy reforms that had already begun across the globe. You can see flashes of a good book at times, but to do a proper job, its length needed to be doubled, or at the very least increased by a third. Context matters, especially when assessing a government one generation removed, which won four consecutive elections. For this reason, Remeikis only skims the surface of John Howard’s influence on Australian society.
April 5, 2026
3.8/5
Growing up during the 00s, I heard a lot about (and still do) about how well respected a Prime Minister John Howard was. Being too little to understand, and only picking up disjointed snippets of politics coverage on national TV about indigenous rights, or the war "on terror", or carbon emissions trading, this went unquestioned. In more recent times, I've come to know an anti-Howard narrative, framed in the context of Australia's housing woes.
Seeing Amy Remeikis' book on Howard had been released, I was super curious to learn more about what kind of policies Howard put in place, and what kind of person he actually had been as Prime Minister. What I took away from this book is that much of the political & legislative cowardice in the governments succeeding Howard's, can be better described as an unwillingness to challenge Howard's version of Australia: one that neglected Indigenous people, asylum seekers, migrants, the unemployed, the otherwise downtrodden, but gave handouts to corporate interests, employers, and cut accessibility and quality of education. One shudders to think what would have happened if Howard was able to "stab [Medicare] in the guts" like he wanted to. Howard really represented the worst of fearmongering and neoliberalism, seeking to benefit primarily white, middle and upper-class Australia, and screwed over everyone else, while creating the myth that he was batting for the "ordinary" Australian. Remeikis highlights that Howard's effectiveness came from his conviction, and his reasonable facade; he knew which "notes to play" politically.
Remeikis draws a parallel from Margaret Thatcher's assertion that her greatest achievement was "Tony Blair", to today's Labor Party, suggesting that they are indeed Howard's greatest achievement. I have to agree - given the thumping mandate given to Labor in the last federal election, it's mindblowing how impotent the current Labor government have been in the way of reverting Howardian changes that led to our housing crisis, the decline of quality & accessibility in higher education, and the defanging of unions in the country, to name a few things. Legislative cowardice aside, they can't even depart from the Howard-era sycophancy for the United States, being the first to back their and Israel's unprovoked war against Iran (justified with the very creative, as yet unheard of "they're about to get WMDs" line).
Amy Remeikis is armed with data, and each chapter is filled with notes pointing to Howard himself, or journalists at the time, or other publicly available data. Despite that in some instances I found myself lacking context or enough info:
In addition to this, Amy Remeikis' (rightful) frustration really comes through in the form of dripping sarcasm in this book. While I share her frustration at the situations she describes, personally the sarcasm sometimes got in the way of understanding the substance of her argument and the facts she was presenting.
Overall I think this was a really good overview of Howard's policies, and fleshed out a lot of gaps I had in my knowledge about that topic. I would've appreciated a little more deep analysis on how and why parts of his policies persist today, but I can see it would've made for a more laborious (pun intended) read. Instead of a deep, extensive analysis, I would describe this as a primer on the case against Howard, and a good starting point to understand more. Highly recommend this to anyone who's interested in the provenance of modern Australia's struggles.
Growing up during the 00s, I heard a lot about (and still do) about how well respected a Prime Minister John Howard was. Being too little to understand, and only picking up disjointed snippets of politics coverage on national TV about indigenous rights, or the war "on terror", or carbon emissions trading, this went unquestioned. In more recent times, I've come to know an anti-Howard narrative, framed in the context of Australia's housing woes.
Seeing Amy Remeikis' book on Howard had been released, I was super curious to learn more about what kind of policies Howard put in place, and what kind of person he actually had been as Prime Minister. What I took away from this book is that much of the political & legislative cowardice in the governments succeeding Howard's, can be better described as an unwillingness to challenge Howard's version of Australia: one that neglected Indigenous people, asylum seekers, migrants, the unemployed, the otherwise downtrodden, but gave handouts to corporate interests, employers, and cut accessibility and quality of education. One shudders to think what would have happened if Howard was able to "stab [Medicare] in the guts" like he wanted to. Howard really represented the worst of fearmongering and neoliberalism, seeking to benefit primarily white, middle and upper-class Australia, and screwed over everyone else, while creating the myth that he was batting for the "ordinary" Australian. Remeikis highlights that Howard's effectiveness came from his conviction, and his reasonable facade; he knew which "notes to play" politically.
Remeikis draws a parallel from Margaret Thatcher's assertion that her greatest achievement was "Tony Blair", to today's Labor Party, suggesting that they are indeed Howard's greatest achievement. I have to agree - given the thumping mandate given to Labor in the last federal election, it's mindblowing how impotent the current Labor government have been in the way of reverting Howardian changes that led to our housing crisis, the decline of quality & accessibility in higher education, and the defanging of unions in the country, to name a few things. Legislative cowardice aside, they can't even depart from the Howard-era sycophancy for the United States, being the first to back their and Israel's unprovoked war against Iran (justified with the very creative, as yet unheard of "they're about to get WMDs" line).
Amy Remeikis is armed with data, and each chapter is filled with notes pointing to Howard himself, or journalists at the time, or other publicly available data. Despite that in some instances I found myself lacking context or enough info:
"Family reunion visa entries shrank from 80 per cent in 1998 to roughly 20 per cent by 2013."Found myself scratching my head at this wondering "A percentage of what? All visas offered? That doesn't sound right."
In addition to this, Amy Remeikis' (rightful) frustration really comes through in the form of dripping sarcasm in this book. While I share her frustration at the situations she describes, personally the sarcasm sometimes got in the way of understanding the substance of her argument and the facts she was presenting.
Overall I think this was a really good overview of Howard's policies, and fleshed out a lot of gaps I had in my knowledge about that topic. I would've appreciated a little more deep analysis on how and why parts of his policies persist today, but I can see it would've made for a more laborious (pun intended) read. Instead of a deep, extensive analysis, I would describe this as a primer on the case against Howard, and a good starting point to understand more. Highly recommend this to anyone who's interested in the provenance of modern Australia's struggles.
March 1, 2026
Remeikis doesn’t just revisit the legacy of John Howard. She systematically addresses the issues that Australia faces today and the role that Howard played in their architecture. Housing crisis, culture wars, racial tension, immigration scapegoating, work insecurity, climate inaction, and more. This book is uncompromising. Succinct analysis rather than wistfully looking back on ‘the good ole days’.
What I loved most?
✨ The way Remeikis balances rigorous research with readable prose. It is accessible but not dumbed down.
✨ Her unflinching willingness to challenge the “untouchable” narratives around Howard’s legacy.
✨ How this book made me reflect differently on Australia’s political trajectory.
If you care about Australian politics, history, or social justice, add this one to your shelf. It’s compelling, provocative, and so relevant to today’s debates.
What I loved most?
✨ The way Remeikis balances rigorous research with readable prose. It is accessible but not dumbed down.
✨ Her unflinching willingness to challenge the “untouchable” narratives around Howard’s legacy.
✨ How this book made me reflect differently on Australia’s political trajectory.
If you care about Australian politics, history, or social justice, add this one to your shelf. It’s compelling, provocative, and so relevant to today’s debates.
March 26, 2026
I always believed that the genius of John Howard was that he convinced every day Australian’s that he was on their side when the opposite was true.
Amy’s deep dive into the dark corners of John Howard’s time as Prime Minister is mind blowing 🤯
There doesn’t seem to be anything left unscathed- current issues such as childcare, aged care, housing, lack of action on environmental issues, lack of social cohesion, racism, rise of far right extremism……..all the worse for Howard’s policies.
Amy’s deep dive into the dark corners of John Howard’s time as Prime Minister is mind blowing 🤯
There doesn’t seem to be anything left unscathed- current issues such as childcare, aged care, housing, lack of action on environmental issues, lack of social cohesion, racism, rise of far right extremism……..all the worse for Howard’s policies.
March 9, 2026
Great book that reminds us that we really don't hate John Howard anywhere enough and he deserves so much more.
April 4, 2026
A breazy read, introducing a new generation to former Prime Minister John Howard's many shortcomings. Chapters on the economy, housing, and immigration are particularly excellent.
But an overview it is - often asserting its points more than arguing, and seemingly based almost solely on secondary sources. And if "?utm_source=chatgpt.com" means anything to you, you'll share my disappointment with one of the footnotes!
That said, as someone who lived through Howard, my impression is I'm not the target audience for this book - and as a summary across his most noxious contributions to Australia it is wholly effective.
But an overview it is - often asserting its points more than arguing, and seemingly based almost solely on secondary sources. And if "?utm_source=chatgpt.com" means anything to you, you'll share my disappointment with one of the footnotes!
That said, as someone who lived through Howard, my impression is I'm not the target audience for this book - and as a summary across his most noxious contributions to Australia it is wholly effective.
April 11, 2026
Attack the outcomes and you attack the man. This is a powerful dismantling of the legend that is John Howard, a man who created a mythology about Australia that is still maintained and believed today. The pains of the past still felt today and that future leaders will be apologising for.
Amy presents a need for someone to step up and be the nation changing leader that Howard was. Whether that will ever happen, I doubt it.
Great stuff.
Amy presents a need for someone to step up and be the nation changing leader that Howard was. Whether that will ever happen, I doubt it.
Great stuff.
April 20, 2026
WOW I HATE HIM
March 19, 2026
This book confirms much of what I already knew and deeply believed, so, preaching to the choir, but it was delicious
April 7, 2026
I went to high school with a kid named Bradman, who I hated. His parents must have hated him even more to be hitching him to Howard nationalism for the rest of his life.
March 11, 2026
An excellent examination of the long-lasting effects of the Howard Coalition government on contemporary Australia. Remeikis strongly presents the case of how the Howard government is responsible for stifling progressive action in Australia from a range of areas including society and culture, foreign affairs and economic policy.
March 16, 2026
I agree with the central premise of the book but feel the case could have been made more comprehensively and completely.
February 27, 2026
for a book that holds an almost identical view on howard to myself, i'm surprised by how difficult i found this to read. this is a very, very angry book, and while that anger is justified and entirely understandable, it's hard to read in long stretches without needing to take a break and do something a bit less depressing.
this is probably in part due to the medium i read the book in - an audiobook. the book was read by remeikis herself and, well, she probably should have gotten someone else to do it. not that she has a bad voice or that it's inherently inappropriate to read your own book, but the book is clearly a deeply personal one and her anger comes across very strongly. this might be energising to another reader, i found it made reading a bit of a chore. beyond this, the actual recording of the audiobook changes tone DRAMATICALLY between chapters, with remeikis speaking in a relatively heated tone at the end of one chapter and then sounding almost sedated in comparison when the next one comes around. combined with a few odd mispronunciations of words, it feels like the direction for the audiobook was not particularly good. i recognise that this is a fairly minor criticism but it did add to the overall difficulty in reading the book
luckily you aren't dealing with those issues for too long, because the book itself is quite short. this isn't a good thing. remeikis mentions at the end that there are many other things she could have covered; it's hard to see why she didn't. if you're essentially firing this book at howard's position in australian political history, why not use every piece of ammunition you've got? the stuff that's there is good and is quite frustrating to relive (especially because i read howards biography this year and being reminded what a turd he is is a fresh wound), why not keep going?
the real saving grace of the book is that, of course, remeikis is entirely correct. every point she makes is backed up with examples, there is a wealth of them, and they paint a dramatically unappealing picture of howard. the content itself is damning and it's essentially just listing his actions and the subsequent consequences. it's well structured and serves as a good primer on howard's more egregious decisions. they work well to express the book's core thesis that howard is essentially seen as being almost apolitical these days, given his success in reframing his personal beliefs as being the default state that any changes need to be considered against. it would take a particularly intransigent reader to come away from this book taking any other position
it does feel like the book is aimed at a certain reader, in fact almost a specific person. this is a 200 page letter to anthony albanese telling him to please, please, PLEASE do something about any of the myriad problems that howard has left and which labor has left essentially untouched. if the broad strokes of the book are that howard used his unprecedented power to reshape the country in his image, then the flip side of that coin is that it would be fucking sick if albo would try and do something similar with labor values. the anger that undergirds the entire book isn't just for howard, you can sense a frustrated labor believer in the subtext, wondering aloud in increasingly frustrated terms why labor seems incapable of doing anything to dismantle howard's legacy. again, it's hard to disagree
this is a good book, and probably a better one if you actually read a physical copy rather than the audiobook. while it could be longer, the points it raises are valid and well argued - wanting more of a book is hardly a scathing criticism. the anger that runs throughout it is justified, and while it is sometimes a slightly uncomfortable read it's one that is likely going to become the standard for discussion of howard and his legacy. definitely recommend if you're considering reading it, if you're interested in australian politics you're probably going to be hearing about it anyway
this is probably in part due to the medium i read the book in - an audiobook. the book was read by remeikis herself and, well, she probably should have gotten someone else to do it. not that she has a bad voice or that it's inherently inappropriate to read your own book, but the book is clearly a deeply personal one and her anger comes across very strongly. this might be energising to another reader, i found it made reading a bit of a chore. beyond this, the actual recording of the audiobook changes tone DRAMATICALLY between chapters, with remeikis speaking in a relatively heated tone at the end of one chapter and then sounding almost sedated in comparison when the next one comes around. combined with a few odd mispronunciations of words, it feels like the direction for the audiobook was not particularly good. i recognise that this is a fairly minor criticism but it did add to the overall difficulty in reading the book
luckily you aren't dealing with those issues for too long, because the book itself is quite short. this isn't a good thing. remeikis mentions at the end that there are many other things she could have covered; it's hard to see why she didn't. if you're essentially firing this book at howard's position in australian political history, why not use every piece of ammunition you've got? the stuff that's there is good and is quite frustrating to relive (especially because i read howards biography this year and being reminded what a turd he is is a fresh wound), why not keep going?
the real saving grace of the book is that, of course, remeikis is entirely correct. every point she makes is backed up with examples, there is a wealth of them, and they paint a dramatically unappealing picture of howard. the content itself is damning and it's essentially just listing his actions and the subsequent consequences. it's well structured and serves as a good primer on howard's more egregious decisions. they work well to express the book's core thesis that howard is essentially seen as being almost apolitical these days, given his success in reframing his personal beliefs as being the default state that any changes need to be considered against. it would take a particularly intransigent reader to come away from this book taking any other position
it does feel like the book is aimed at a certain reader, in fact almost a specific person. this is a 200 page letter to anthony albanese telling him to please, please, PLEASE do something about any of the myriad problems that howard has left and which labor has left essentially untouched. if the broad strokes of the book are that howard used his unprecedented power to reshape the country in his image, then the flip side of that coin is that it would be fucking sick if albo would try and do something similar with labor values. the anger that undergirds the entire book isn't just for howard, you can sense a frustrated labor believer in the subtext, wondering aloud in increasingly frustrated terms why labor seems incapable of doing anything to dismantle howard's legacy. again, it's hard to disagree
this is a good book, and probably a better one if you actually read a physical copy rather than the audiobook. while it could be longer, the points it raises are valid and well argued - wanting more of a book is hardly a scathing criticism. the anger that runs throughout it is justified, and while it is sometimes a slightly uncomfortable read it's one that is likely going to become the standard for discussion of howard and his legacy. definitely recommend if you're considering reading it, if you're interested in australian politics you're probably going to be hearing about it anyway
March 13, 2026
I am quite depressed as I write this review. The conflict in Iran is getting worse and the long-term consequences are just so frightening. With “leaders” like Trump, Netanyahu, Putin, Jinping, Modi, Milei (Argentina) el Sisi (Egypt), Orban (Hungary) Kim Jon Un (Nth Korea), Erdogan (Turkey), Maduro (Venezuela), Jair Messias Bolsonaro (Brazil), Duterte (Philippines) Keir Starmer, Nigel Farage. I ask myself what future does the planet have? At best they seem ineffectual, at worst they are downright evil. Where are the leaders who want to live in peace, make their country profitable, equitable and improving for all its citizens?
John Howard does not fit comfortably in this list. He is not a “bad” person, but rather a skilled politician with stamina and an ideology that is now part of many western democracies of today. Howard did to Australia what Ronald Reagen did to the US. Paul Keating famously said in 1996, "When you change the government, you change the country." John Howard's Coalition government sure did that.
Amy Remeikis runs a critical eye over the Howard Government with particular focus on the man himself. Remekis is highly critical of Howard but she is methodical and exact in her research and her opinions. For the reader who is supportive of Howard they will find the book’s tone confronting. Remeikis’s position is clear, and the analysis is unapologetically critical.
Remeikis covers all of Howard’s policies: taxation, health, education migration, privatisation, industrial relations, our relationship with the US.
A supplementary argument that Remeikis presents is the effect that Howard has had on subsequent Labor governments, and in particular the present one.
This publication is exceptionally relevant today considering the state of the Liberal Party in 2026. The 2019 election result delayed the inevitable decline of the Party as Australia as a nation changed. The Party not only failed to attract voters from the young, women, migrants, the environmentally aware, the LGBTQIA+ community and supporters many of its actions alienated them.
For those interested in how Australian economy and society has been shaped over the last few decades this book is an essential read.
Recently Howard has demonstrated that perennial problem of ex-PMs – relevancy deprivation. After the Bondi massacre the Liberal Party dragged him out to make the damning comment that it wasn’t guns but antisemitism that caused the massacre. He looked old and frail. The personification of a cranky old man.
Sadly I do not see any quality leadership in Australia or elsewhere in the world.
John Howard does not fit comfortably in this list. He is not a “bad” person, but rather a skilled politician with stamina and an ideology that is now part of many western democracies of today. Howard did to Australia what Ronald Reagen did to the US. Paul Keating famously said in 1996, "When you change the government, you change the country." John Howard's Coalition government sure did that.
Amy Remeikis runs a critical eye over the Howard Government with particular focus on the man himself. Remekis is highly critical of Howard but she is methodical and exact in her research and her opinions. For the reader who is supportive of Howard they will find the book’s tone confronting. Remeikis’s position is clear, and the analysis is unapologetically critical.
Remeikis covers all of Howard’s policies: taxation, health, education migration, privatisation, industrial relations, our relationship with the US.
A supplementary argument that Remeikis presents is the effect that Howard has had on subsequent Labor governments, and in particular the present one.
This publication is exceptionally relevant today considering the state of the Liberal Party in 2026. The 2019 election result delayed the inevitable decline of the Party as Australia as a nation changed. The Party not only failed to attract voters from the young, women, migrants, the environmentally aware, the LGBTQIA+ community and supporters many of its actions alienated them.
For those interested in how Australian economy and society has been shaped over the last few decades this book is an essential read.
Recently Howard has demonstrated that perennial problem of ex-PMs – relevancy deprivation. After the Bondi massacre the Liberal Party dragged him out to make the damning comment that it wasn’t guns but antisemitism that caused the massacre. He looked old and frail. The personification of a cranky old man.
Sadly I do not see any quality leadership in Australia or elsewhere in the world.
April 24, 2026
A reflection, or reevaluation as it were, of Howard's time in office is extremely welcome, given the almost legendary status his time as PM has acquired. I have never known a time free of Howard's influence, having been born during his final term, and this book does seem to be written in a way to engage people around my age with its contents. Your mileage will vary with the writing style, but I thought it was fine. Definitely one of the easier books on politics that I have read.
It is perhaps to be expected when a book is only barely 200 pages long that it will be lacking in some detail, particularly when it aims to cover an eleven-year stint as PM, a feat only beaten by Australia's first Liberal party prime minister. I found that the twelve chapters dedicated to discussing specific things Howard has effectively ruined or destroyed did a good job at giving an overview, but I really would have liked more. In the conclusion alone there are mentions of several more topics that could have been discussed, but which didn't make the final cut.
An aspect of this book which I found respectable was the acknowledgement of the Labor party's failures before, during, and after Howard. Some of his policies wouldn't have had legs to stand on if it weren't for the Hawke-Keating government that preceded him, and his legacy wouldn't have mutated into what it is today if it weren't for the way his opposition would simply shift to the right to accompany him.
Keeping the subtitle of this book in mind (The Case Against John Howard, with the word 'case' being of particular importance here) I think it serves as an effective introduction to the ways in which Howard has thoroughly screwed modern Australia in the pursuit of his own ideological heaven, regardless of what might have been best for the people of the future (or even the people of his present). For people who might not otherwise know too much about this period of Australian politics, especially because they hadn't been born yet, I recommend it as a good starting point if they want to learn more but find the sometimes (often) dry nature of books like this intimidating.
It is perhaps to be expected when a book is only barely 200 pages long that it will be lacking in some detail, particularly when it aims to cover an eleven-year stint as PM, a feat only beaten by Australia's first Liberal party prime minister. I found that the twelve chapters dedicated to discussing specific things Howard has effectively ruined or destroyed did a good job at giving an overview, but I really would have liked more. In the conclusion alone there are mentions of several more topics that could have been discussed, but which didn't make the final cut.
An aspect of this book which I found respectable was the acknowledgement of the Labor party's failures before, during, and after Howard. Some of his policies wouldn't have had legs to stand on if it weren't for the Hawke-Keating government that preceded him, and his legacy wouldn't have mutated into what it is today if it weren't for the way his opposition would simply shift to the right to accompany him.
Keeping the subtitle of this book in mind (The Case Against John Howard, with the word 'case' being of particular importance here) I think it serves as an effective introduction to the ways in which Howard has thoroughly screwed modern Australia in the pursuit of his own ideological heaven, regardless of what might have been best for the people of the future (or even the people of his present). For people who might not otherwise know too much about this period of Australian politics, especially because they hadn't been born yet, I recommend it as a good starting point if they want to learn more but find the sometimes (often) dry nature of books like this intimidating.
April 10, 2026
It's too easy to (want to) think that John Howard's Prime Ministership lies in the distant past and is therefore irrelevant, but the most important thing "Where It All Went Wrong" does is to show how the social engineering supervised by JH over the years 1996 to 2007 still dictates the politics, programs and economics of Australia today.
He moved our Overton Window significantly, and consequently the policy leadership he displayed over those years is still enormously significant in many, many areas of government.
Even if you liked the changes he made (and I emphatically did not) then another virtue of this book is to make it clear why John Howard's initiatives have become a dead hand on the policy and program tiller.
Finally, Amy details the bigger policy and program initiatives across the Howard years, via 12 chapters, to both remind us of what was done across those 12 areas, but also so we can see their ongoing impact on Australia today.
Well written, well researched, coherent, and accessible!
He moved our Overton Window significantly, and consequently the policy leadership he displayed over those years is still enormously significant in many, many areas of government.
Even if you liked the changes he made (and I emphatically did not) then another virtue of this book is to make it clear why John Howard's initiatives have become a dead hand on the policy and program tiller.
Finally, Amy details the bigger policy and program initiatives across the Howard years, via 12 chapters, to both remind us of what was done across those 12 areas, but also so we can see their ongoing impact on Australia today.
Well written, well researched, coherent, and accessible!
April 5, 2026
The book's a political piece but it's well researched and tells a good tale. The short version: Howard was an ingenious politician, using rat cunning to play the political game like no-one before or since, and to impose his vision on the nation. And that was one of the worst possible visions for us to follow.
The tone of the writing is indignant throughout, doubtless a result of the author belonging to the generation most screwed over by Howard's efforts. And it doesn't give credit to Howard for the few, but significant, good things that he achieved. On the other hand it condemns the Labor party for letting it happen and for its lack of political will, even with a massive majority and the Liberals in free fall, to do anything about it. So, balance of a sort.
I doubt it will convince anyone who has already formed a view on Howard one way or another. But it ought to be required reading for politicians on both sides.
The tone of the writing is indignant throughout, doubtless a result of the author belonging to the generation most screwed over by Howard's efforts. And it doesn't give credit to Howard for the few, but significant, good things that he achieved. On the other hand it condemns the Labor party for letting it happen and for its lack of political will, even with a massive majority and the Liberals in free fall, to do anything about it. So, balance of a sort.
I doubt it will convince anyone who has already formed a view on Howard one way or another. But it ought to be required reading for politicians on both sides.
March 12, 2026
Long story short: He made everything better for capitalism and capitalists.
In the short-term, this benefited the middle class, who were able to use investment properties as a get-rich-quick scheme. But the children of this same middle class have, for the most part, been locked out of the market.
This reveals the fraud at the centre of Howard’s legacy: that a policy that enriches a class for one generation only has not enriched that class; it only fooled them long enough for Howard to make these changes. Meanwhile the elite are laughing to the bank to this day, 30 years on. And the worst outcome of all is that the Labor Party has been crippled with fear ever since - the Murdoch press always ready to wheel Howard out of cryogenic storage to play the sage on Sky After Dark.
In the short-term, this benefited the middle class, who were able to use investment properties as a get-rich-quick scheme. But the children of this same middle class have, for the most part, been locked out of the market.
This reveals the fraud at the centre of Howard’s legacy: that a policy that enriches a class for one generation only has not enriched that class; it only fooled them long enough for Howard to make these changes. Meanwhile the elite are laughing to the bank to this day, 30 years on. And the worst outcome of all is that the Labor Party has been crippled with fear ever since - the Murdoch press always ready to wheel Howard out of cryogenic storage to play the sage on Sky After Dark.
March 14, 2026
Firstly, I largely agree with Remeikis, Howard’s legacy plays out in growing inequality and toxic political climate that weaponises culture wars to divide rather that takes responsibility and seeks to ease tensions.
The book was pretty thorough in its examination of Howard, who he was and what he did. I do wonder though if it might have been served better with what came before him. Howard did a lot of damage but he didn’t come from nowhere and some of the foundations had been set up before him.
The book was pretty thorough in its examination of Howard, who he was and what he did. I do wonder though if it might have been served better with what came before him. Howard did a lot of damage but he didn’t come from nowhere and some of the foundations had been set up before him.
April 19, 2026
Remeikis holds no punches in her critique of Howard's Prime Ministership and the lasting effect on so much of our society today. Breaking the book down into different themes like climate, housing, welfare, the Liberal Party and more we are treated to a succinct explanation of the why and how we got to where we are today on policies that are no longer working (if they ever really did). Its factual, logical and well presented, with just a few strong words expressing her personal opinion, ultimately reflecting my own frustration at politics and the world.
March 10, 2026
I entered the workforce through all of this and the memories it brought back, I wanted to punch the wall. I've always said, Australia is about a decade behind the rest of the world. John Howard was our Margaret Thatcher.
"....There is an apocryphal story of how Margaret Thatcher was asked what she considered her greatest achievement, and she supposedly said, "Tony Blair"...."
Swap Margaret Thatcher with John Howard and Tony Blair with Anthony Albanese.
"....There is an apocryphal story of how Margaret Thatcher was asked what she considered her greatest achievement, and she supposedly said, "Tony Blair"...."
Swap Margaret Thatcher with John Howard and Tony Blair with Anthony Albanese.
March 14, 2026
some great insights into 2000's economics, cultural identity wars, national apology, unemployment and how howard continues to shape our lives. some chapters (tax, war, first nations) were convincing and extensively researched justifications. some of the others (internal relations, liberal party) just felt like a howard pile on without enough fact and detail in between to support.
one to give to dad the howard lover to see what rebuttals he has
one to give to dad the howard lover to see what rebuttals he has
March 17, 2026
A critique of John Howard might focus on the way his long tenure reshaped Australia in deeply divisive ways. Critics can point to policies such as the hard-line asylum seeker regime, the Iraq War commitment, and industrial relations reforms that eroded worker protections. These choices reflected a style of leadership that prioritized political advantage and ideological certainty over compassion or consensus. Yet the story of him having an antique parliamentary desk altered to suit his small stature feels symbolic of the man and everything he stood for.
April 7, 2026
For what is ultimately a hit piece on Australia’s former prime minister, there are genuine arguments here. Although I strongly believe in credit where credit is due, considering Parliament House renovations as supporting evidence for Howard’s race agenda is a stretch. Where the book makes strides is in its economic policy analysis where facts and data can speak for itself. Overall still an interesting perspective
April 8, 2026
for such a short book, it holds an impressive amount of information while maintaining engaging prose and story telling. its a great crash course on john howard, which i felt i needed.
though, if you already know a lot about australian politics, this book is probably too brief and i wouldnt recommend it.
though, if you already know a lot about australian politics, this book is probably too brief and i wouldnt recommend it.
March 23, 2026
Eye opening to say the least. I had little idea how much damage Howard has caused to Australian politics.
He has a lot to answer for and I will always curse him.
Well written and researched book and will be grateful to Amy Remeikis for writing this great book.
He has a lot to answer for and I will always curse him.
Well written and researched book and will be grateful to Amy Remeikis for writing this great book.
March 24, 2026
after reading this you will wanna punch john howard. a vital read for gen zers in particular because TBH I didn't know that most of the (bad) cultural fabric of australia can be traced back to howard.
April 5, 2026
Amy Remeikis is one of the more insightful journalists covering Australian politics, and a new book from her is a treat. This one doesn't disappoint. It's a whole book demonstrating in painstaking detail why, however much you hate John Howard, you don't hate him enough.
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