Howard Is Even Losing The Liberal Party

The deputy director of the NSW Liberal Party has resigned suddenly to take up a job in the corporate sector. It's all about who controls the party, and this bloke was one of Howard's boys:

The Herald understands that the Prime Minister, John Howard, is determined Mr Towke will not be the candidate for Cook.

Meanwhile, questions have arisen about the desirability about another right-wing candidate for Cook, should Mr Towke be axed.

The Right is understood to be keen on the businessman Peter Tynan. However, his opponents have released parts of a book he wrote with three others in 2004, called Imagining Australia: Ideas for our Future, which calls for the Eureka Stockade flag to be adopted as the national flag and advocates an inheritance tax and a national Eddie Mabo Day.

Mr Tynan said yesterday it had been written to encourage debate and he did not believe in many of the points of view it raised.

Meanwhile, two NSW Labor cabinet members have broken ranks to suggest that Howard's water takeover is not such a good idea.