'Not happy John!' campaign
Encyclopedia
The 'Not happy,h John!' campaign was an Australian political campaign
to oppose the re-election of Prime Minister
John Howard
as member for Bennelong
in the Australian federal election, 2004. The title of the campaign is based on the popular television commercial, Not happy, Jan!
and the book Not Happy, John
by Margo Kingston
.
The campaign did not promote any specific candidate, but called for votes for any other candidate standing against Howard. The campaign was unsuccessful, in that Howard was returned as member, but had some success in that it reduced Howard's majority by 3% in the face of a 2% swing to Howard's Liberal Party
.
Supporters of the campaign included Margo Kingston
(journalist), John Valder
(previous president of Howard's Liberal party
), Brian Deegan (former magistrate, who stood against Alexander Downer
), Andrew Wilkie
(Greens
candidate), Alex Broun
playwright and Nicole Campbell (Australian Labor Party
candidate). The campaign was launched on 22 June 2004 and continued until the election on 9 October.
There was a small Not Happy John Campaign for the 2007 election based on the philosophy behind the original campaign.
Political campaign
A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making process within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, wherein representatives are chosen or referendums are decided...
to oppose the re-election of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
as member for Bennelong
Division of Bennelong
The Division of Bennelong is an Australian electorate in New South Wales. The division was created in 1949 and is named for Bennelong, an Aboriginal man befriended by the first Governor of New South Wales, Arthur Phillip...
in the Australian federal election, 2004. The title of the campaign is based on the popular television commercial, Not happy, Jan!
Not happy, Jan!
Not happy, Jan! was a line delivered by actress Deborah Kennedy in an Australian television advertisement from the year 2000. Due to the ad's popularity in Australia, the line entered the cultural vernacular as a catch phrase used to express displeasure....
and the book Not Happy, John
Not Happy, John
Not Happy, John is a book written by Margo Kingston, an Australian journalist and political commentator. It outlines why she is not happy with the previous Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard, and his policies for Australia. Many opinions published on Margo Kingston's Webdiary made their way...
by Margo Kingston
Margo Kingston
Margo Kingston is an Australian journalist, author and commentator. She is best known for her work at The Sydney Morning Herald and her weblog, .Kingston was born in Maryborough, Queensland and was raised in Mackay...
.
The campaign did not promote any specific candidate, but called for votes for any other candidate standing against Howard. The campaign was unsuccessful, in that Howard was returned as member, but had some success in that it reduced Howard's majority by 3% in the face of a 2% swing to Howard's Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
.
Supporters of the campaign included Margo Kingston
Margo Kingston
Margo Kingston is an Australian journalist, author and commentator. She is best known for her work at The Sydney Morning Herald and her weblog, .Kingston was born in Maryborough, Queensland and was raised in Mackay...
(journalist), John Valder
John Valder
John Valder is a former president of the federal Liberal Party of Australia and also a previous chairman of the Australian Stock Exchange. Valder was a founding member of the 'Not happy John!' campaign.-External links:*...
(previous president of Howard's Liberal party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
), Brian Deegan (former magistrate, who stood against Alexander Downer
Alexander Downer
Alexander John Gosse Downer is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was Foreign Minister of Australia from March 1996 to December 2007, the longest-serving in Australian history...
), Andrew Wilkie
Andrew Wilkie
Andrew Damien Wilkie is an Australian politician and independent federal member for Denison...
(Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
candidate), Alex Broun
Alex Broun
Alex Broun is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and Rugby journalist who has worked extensively with Short+Sweet , the world's largest ten minute theatre festival...
playwright and Nicole Campbell (Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
candidate). The campaign was launched on 22 June 2004 and continued until the election on 9 October.
There was a small Not Happy John Campaign for the 2007 election based on the philosophy behind the original campaign.
Further reading
- Kingston, MargoMargo KingstonMargo Kingston is an Australian journalist, author and commentator. She is best known for her work at The Sydney Morning Herald and her weblog, .Kingston was born in Maryborough, Queensland and was raised in Mackay...
. Not Happy, John! defending Australia's democracy. Paperback, 240 pages. Published June 2004 by PenguinPenguin BooksPenguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
. ISBN 0-14-300258-9.