Is Howard serious about asking Australians to reduce Senate checks?

Given the Labor Party's woes, a Coalition Senate majority no longer seems such an unrealistic goal. The fact that Labor was foolish enough to supply the PM's campaign with oxygen is just another sign of how inept their political outfit has become.

A soon-to-be-released discussion paper on constitutional change will be just a small part of an overarching media strategy designed to discredit the minor parties and discourage voters from having a bob each way in both houses.

With a Senate majority achieved John Howard could happily toddle off to retirement as arguably Australia's most successful Prime Minister. Of course, it will take more than a bit of meaningful chatter about the dynamics of the bicameral system to generate the momentum required to achieve this jewel in the PM's crown.

No doubt the key part of the PM's plan will be to keep public attention firmly focused on the imminent threat posed by the never-ending war on terrorism. Fear and loathing proved to be the winning ticket last time and there is no sign of this formula being abandoned.

Howard's cleverest political move in recent times has been to draw up a new "improved" terrorist alert scale. While you can bet your fridge magnet it won't make us any safer, it means the PM will now be able to call twice as many press conferences - one for each time we move a notch up his scale.

Given the Senate’s habit of "obstructing" the draconian measures the PM tells us are vital for national security, we can rest assured its record on terrorism will be a feature of the campaign.