Changes

==Recent political controversies==

==Recent political controversies==

The resignation of Santo Santoro as Minister of Ageing following his public admission of share trading and breach of the Ministerial Code of Conduct has resulted in much adverse publicity on John Howard's leadership. The resignation was particularly upsetting for John Howard as the previous week he had publically supported the formoer Minister when he had admitted to one breach. The subsequent public humiliation of Mr Santoro a week later when he subddenly "remembered" a further 72 breaches lead to the removal of support from the Prime Minister. Bob Quinn, the former leader of the opposition in the Queensland State Parliament is the current front-runner for the Senate seat vacated by the sudden resignation of Mr Santoro.  

The resignation of Santo Santoro as Minister of Ageing following his public admission to share trading in breach of Mr. Howard's Ministerial Code of Conduct has resulted in adverse publicity to Mr. Howard. The week prior to the resignation Mr. Howard had publicly supported the former Minister when he had admitted to one breach of the code. Mr. Santoro admitted a week later that he had committed a further 72 breaches which resulted in the withdrawal of support from the Prime Minister. Bob Quinn, the former leader of the opposition in the Queensland State Parliament is the current front-runner for the Senate seat vacated by the sudden resignation of Mr Santoro.  

The David Hicks affair continues to dog Mr Howard who hopes the recent conviction of David Hicks as a result of a plea bargain with US military prosecutors will relieve the adverse media commentary.  

The prosecution of David Hicks at Guantanamo Bay continues to be a political issue for Mr Howard.  

The popularity of Mt Howard is now at almost an alltime low and it is widely believed he will be comprehensively defeated by Kevin Rudd at General Elections which must be called before the end of 2007. However a widely anticipated leadership challenge by the Deputy Prime Minister, Peter Costello make help rejunvenate the chances of the ruling Liberal Party and reverse its tilt to extreme right policies during the Howard Era.

The popularity of Mr, Howard is now at almost an all-time low and it is widely believed he will be defeated by Mr. Kevin Rudd at general elections which must be called before the end of 2007.