bob was marginally better pm, and chifley is always going to be hard to beat. the best treasurer ever? he'd make the top three in any fair assessment but so would costello. does keating stand above the current leaders? without a shred of doubt, and that applies to both sides of politics....if two right wing parties equal 'both sides of politics". today doublespeak rules and anything non-core is, well....just how stupid ARE people to expect anything other than a stilleto through the ribcage from honest john?

Do the current coalition members inspire me? some have what it takes, but the idealogy of others leaves me cold. tony abbott or phillip ruddock are never going to earn my vote.

who WOULD get my vote? on economic performance, nobody. the coalition have good numbers until you see they've achieved them at the expense of basic services for too many ordinary aussies.

On security matters. a close call..libs are too gung ho. sold us out to the septics AND the bloody chinese, f'chrissakes! this is UNHEARD OF in any history that I've read. whereas I just see that the alp hasnt anything to inspire me, either. this is a 'donkey'.

On civic matters the alp, by a wide, wide margin. The libs dont understand that its just no damn good if you 'save the farm' when nobody wants you to stay, nobody wants to do business with you at a price you can afford to pay, and the only reason they speak to you at all is because they want the patch of dirt under your feet. at least the alp under keating made me glad to be an aussie.

So, on balance, its the alp. but mainly because, currently, the libs just continue to look for ways to piss me off. Give me a leader and a leadership team that inspires me. Kim, ol buddy ol fella ol pal, some have got it, and some just dont. maaaaaate.....you dont.

PLEASE come back paul. There are twenty million good reasons to come back. as never before, your country needs you.

Just keep recruiting people like Mark Lathem who will constantly tell you that Labor is a spent force.Gee wouldn't you want him on your side in the trenches with a bayonette near your back?At least Keating was a "faithful true believer",in what, no one is quite sure.
We have to pay our pollies more or continue to suffer the pain of their poor economic decisions.NSW is an absolute mess,yes just another Labor debacle.The list goes on!

Federal Labour did not exactly leave Australia in a messy economic heap for the Libs to pick up in 96. They did not exactly have to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. It is all well and good to say we have better economic stability (for whom?) because PC has got the handle on the accountancy side of the firm and it looks good. However, GST wise, the most horrid bastardisation of taxation ever introduced, it is starting to crunch and separate the haves from the have nots (I am middle class and am constantly opening my utilities bills with wide eyed horror.) Not to mention the chainsawing IR changes ( I could have said whittling, but hey, I'm dramatic and pruning in June). Kiss Qantas, Telstra et al goodbye. Not to mention social services. As i said, there's a lot more to running a country than I'm alright Jack. I don't think the ALP is anywhere near perfect, but I'd rather eat Soylent Green than vote for what constitutes those in power in this century so far. The worm will turn

This really is a fascinating forum, are Labor supporters so disillusioned with the talent on offer in their party they want to bring Paul Keating back.

He did lay a lot of groundwork for the economic position we are in now, but he also pissed a lot of people off with his arrogance.

The sentiments of people who want great inspirational politicians, such as James' yearning for Keating show how bereft some people are when it comes to role models.

Most people are just happy to get on with their own life, drawing inspiration from family and friends, rather than pollies.

Politicians should have less of an influence on our lives than more.

Next you will bloody want Gough to come back with his grand plans and even grander failures.

Steady as she goes Mr Howard.

t.u.s

TUS, yes most people want to get on with their own lives and not have to draw inspiration from politicians (after all, we elect them to get on with governing our country so we can get on with our lives). Disillusioned yes, us labor supporters and rightly so, there's no bringing back Gough, Paul et al. I don't believe in recycling. (Kim) They were politicians for their time and were the ones that used their time well. But that doesn't mean to say that because the labor party is now a berefit wasteland of talent and vision that I should vote for a govt which has done too many things wrong. For all the people that think this govt has done well economically for the "mums, dads and battlers", just watch the IR space that will be unfolding. We are in for some interesting times ahead.

Well, I should finish off with my dialogue between Julia and Mark.

Julia; Mark Werriwere you?

Mark: In terror gal.

Julia; You'll have to give up the grog Mark,your pancreas is
getting livered.There is just too much bile!

Mark: Pancreas my arse.I tried to crush the hand of that rodent and
he returns my bravado with and electoral flogging!

Julia; Why didn't you do something about Arcehi?

Mark: Didn't John abandon Arcehi?

Julia: It's Banda Arcehi,the capital!

Mark; Bandi Arcehi Aid.Is Bob going too?

Julia; Bob Geldorf?

Mark; No, Bob Carr, he's my only threat.Encourage Bob to fix their
infrastructure.I'll be in like Flynn.

Julia; We have to ride the great wave of of public generosity.

Mark; Soon army will come and wipe out all those who voted Liberal.

Julia; But it's already been,Thailand,Sri Lanka,Arcehi India!

Mark; No "The army."

Julia; The Salvos are already there!

Mark; No my army of Howard haters.We will rise up and smite them
down as predicted by Gough the Prophet!

Julia; We lost ,Mark.

Mark; Oh ,my panacea feels worse!How should I resign?

Julia; With deft brevity Mark!

Just for a lark,but I hope Mark and his ilk, finds reality,since it is we, the mere mortals that have to suffer their whims and fanticies with no outrageous fortune to comfort us in our immintent dotage.Gough began the rot and I wonder when it will stop.