In Australia, some unexpected voices have spoken out against our current Prime Minister, John Howard. (John Howard is the head of the Liberal Party in Australia – the Liberal Party in Oz is a conservative right wing party, despite its name). John Valder, a former federal and NSW president of the Liberal Party, is conducting a campaign against Howard to try and stop him from being re-elected. Valder was appalled by the Federal Government's unconcerned attitude to the fate of Australians David Hicks and Mamdouh Habib in Guantanamo Bay. He has broadened into a trenchant critic on Iraq, claiming Bush, Tony Blair and Howard are war criminals. Valder, 72, retired wealthy from stockbroking in 1990. He is running a campaign against Howard in his electorate of Bennelong, encouraging people to vote for anyone but John Howard. He has called the campaign "Not Happy John" after a recent book of that name was published. http://www.nothappyjohn.com/default.cfm

Valder is neither running for a seat himself nor supporting any candidate. He says he hopes there will be a Liberal government after the election. He just doesn't want Howard as part of it. Valder has personally guaranteed up to $20,000 "seed" money that he may or may not get back, and has worked full-time on the campaign in the pre-election weeks. "In my circle, a conservative circle, people are so anti-Howard," Valder says. "It's a very strong phenomenon, and it's a much stronger phenomenon among women than among men", with refugees a big issue for women.