I adore Mr. Howard. Recall that just before 9/11, one of the two primary international stories was the boatload of refugees -- or so-called asylum-seekers - off Australia demanding to enter (from Afghanistan and other Muslim nations). The other was the kindergarten girls being harrassed in Northern Ireland for taking the wrong road to school. (The local story here in the US was Chandra Levy.)
By not letting the boatload of Muslims into the country, despite a lot of protestors and calls of "racism," Mr. Howard led Australia to dodge a great big bullet and possibly, a coordinated 9/11 attack on their soil. He is the best. And a great ally, too.
You know, I had never known that, Inkie. What a good memory you have. And yes, Mr. Howard is strong and smart as a whip, and did indeed dodge a bullet keeping those folks out of his country.