Howard's History Whores

Joe Hockey recently said everyone in Howard's cabinet knew the IR laws were bad for workers. But now Kevin Andrews says Howard wanted to make the IR laws even more draconian:

JOHN Howard wanted to limit unfair dismissal laws to businesses with more than 200 employees and abolish all minimum wage classifications.

The secret IR plans - which would have affected almost every worker covered by an award - were revealed by former workplace minister Kevin Andrews, who was made the fall guy for the policy's failure.

Mr Andrews now acknowledges the removal of protection for penalty rates and overtime was a fatal mistake and the biggest factor in the public's rejection of the policy...

On the day the package was presented to the joint party room meeting, Mr Andrews received a standing ovation.

Andrews says Minchin and Costello both agreed with Howard, while he and Abbott argued for moderation.

Meanwhile, Andrew Robb is saying that Howard was going to pull combat troops out of Iraq, or reassign them all to training roles, or something...

And the Business Council of Australia says they begged Howard to stop spending money, really they did....

Nobody wants to know you when you're down and out, Johnny.