The magnitude of a fourth straight election win in October will this week deliver control of the upper-house Senate and rob opposition Labor and the minority parties of the casting votes they have held since the Liberal-Nationals coalition swept to power in 1996.
Howard, the first leader in a quarter of a century to control both houses of parliament, is determined not to pass up a chance to consolidate his enormous legacy with a raft of legislation that will complete the agenda he set nine years ago: the reform of industrial relations, the full sale of phone giant Telstra and pegging back the power of student unions.
"I will never want it said of a government I lead that it missed the opportunity of a majority in the senate to so some things that we could never otherwise do," the former solicitor told his Liberal flock last week.
October's landslide means four new senators take their seats July 1 and control of the 76-member chamber passes to the conservatives when parliament resume in August. The prospect of untrammelled Liberal-Nationals power has outgoing senators warning that Howard has an historic opportunity to remake Australia.
"We are heading into an era of elected dictatorship unless all senators in this place stand up, speak up, lobby and vote according to their consciences," independent senator Meg Lees said in her goodbye speech.
It was an alarm echoed by Labor's Chris Evans, who saw danger in Howard using the clout of a big ballot victory to revive bills that had stalled when minority parties held sway in the upper house.
"Clearly the government has an unfettered power now," Evans said. "I think a lot of Australians like me are concerned that they will reduce the checks and balances on government."
The most contentious bill in abeyance is that crimping the power of the unions and making it easier for employers in businesses with less than 100 people to hire and fire workers. Voted down seven times, the bill lets bosses sidestep collective bargaining and settle employment contracts with individuals.
The changes likely to be pushed through the new legislative window of opportunity would dismantle an industrial relations system run by state governments and create one that applies nationally.
It's not only opposition politicians who fear the new industrial relations system would empower employers at the expense of employees.
"We are uneasy about the bottom line in all this," said John Henderson, the spokesman for the National Council of Churches that links leading Christians. "Our community has values that are more important than economics."
A second long-delayed initiative is the sale of the government's remaining 51.8 per cent stake in phone giant Telstra. The sale would raise 34 billion Australian dollars (26 billion U.S. dollars) and see the last of the big state enterprises placed in private ownership. <!--page-->
A third goal to be chased before the next election in 2007 is voluntary unionism for university students. Now, students have no choice but to pay into union coffers for the delivery of services like canteens and sports facilities. Student leaders claim the revamp is more about politics than economics because it would sever the links that student unions have with the Left of politics.
Howard faces a Labor Party in tatters after its worst showing in an election in 50 years. He can not only claim a mandate from the October landslide but from opinion polls showing him as popular now as when he unseated Labor in 1996.
According to newspaper columnist Peter Hartcher, the norm is for political leaders to lose authority the longer they stay in power. "In Howard's case, he has broken all precedent by building public approval the longer he stays in power," Hartcher said.
But politics is dynamic and Howard's ascendancy is being challenged from within coalition ranks. He's 65 and heir apparent Peter Costello, deputy leader of the Liberals and the Treasurer, is pushing to take his place before the next election. Some expect a damaging challenge within the next 12 months.
Howard will also have to trim his radicalism to appease the Nationals, the junior partner in the coalition, and their supporters in rural areas.
Mark Vaile, the new Nationals leader, said his troops would withhold support for the sale of Telstra until telecommunications services were improved in rural areas.
They also disagree with Howard's plan to put Telstra sale proceeds into an "intergenerational fund" that would pay for the retirement costs of the babyboomers. They want it spent now on roads and other civil works.
The reform of industrial relations is also likely to need watering down before it gets the nod from coalition MPs. Some worry that wholesale changes will lead to widespread disaffection and make it harder for them to hold onto their seats in 2007.
Internal disquiet has prompted Howard to re-affirm that he is a conservative rather than a revolutionary and that control of the senate will not be used to ram the ideology of the Right down people's throats.
"We won't use it capriciously, wantonly or indiscriminately," Howard told last week's party gathering. "And I make that solemn promise on your behalf to all of the Australian people."
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