Published "The Age" 24 September 2001

Dear Sir

Australians have been understandably shell-shocked by last week's atrocities. One of the less obvious effects has been the apparent loss of everyone's medium-term memory.

How else can one explain the recent polls?

How can Howard and his government, who have an abysmal and shameful record on Aboriginals, labour relations, reconciliation, the Republic, environment, GST, parliamentarian conflicts of interest, competition policy, education, health, etc, all of a sudden be regarded as good leaders for having done the obviously correct thing in response to the WTC calamity?

Clearly, the electorate is so shocked by the Government actually doing the right thing, that its history of its previously inappropriate, immoral, opportunistic and electoral knee-jerk policies have been obliterated from the mind.

Up until a week ago, Australians had had a gut-full of this Government and were looking forward to the election that would deliver a change. A week on, and as a result of nothing that this Government had anything to do with, we are told that we love this Government. Either the WTC disaster has affected us in more ways than we understand, or Australians are essentially as short-sighted as the leaders we now profess to admire.

I pray that everyone's medium-term memory returns in time for the next election.