Thanks for your article.

I think you are being too kind to the former government which has presided over
- the destruction of a mass higher education system,
- the wholesale flight of Australian jobs and manufacturing to India and China.

Howards wedge politics not only caused a rift in the relationship between the prime minister and the treasurer but their divisive politics made Australia a meaner society with one system for wealthy working families and another system for aborigines and welfare recipients.

The masters of the Liberal Party view Australia as one large quarry to be stripped of its resources, mineral and human. The previous government failed singularly to engage in nation building.
To be honest Rudd and Swan haven't shown any great vision yet.

Well-written article ,but we-all note different things ,so-i=will add my-bit that-i-noted-across-the-howard-reign.

pre-howard we-owned things telstra telecom/water/electricity/etc for egsample ,
that now-has-gone into some 'trust' fund-or-share-holder-fund [locked-away/stolen for use of a burdon-some public-service or stockbrokers-bonus[that dosnt serve the-public but the big-buisness-greed-is-god-adgenda]

Ok we did-away with the tax-burdon on the ritch [via numerous tax cuts to the big-guys ,as well we gave them several-other-bonus'ss [no more death-duties ,[a huge one that-those having their wealth in private-trust funds particularilly hated]

Then we lost our wage increase
[that now props up a failing stock market ,yet despite holding [via our compulsory-super ,ie-ongoing-compulsory-support that distorts the-free-market]
thus-we-'own'-a failing de fact ownership of the-shares BUT-we get none of the huge-increase the market got-nor-did-get their huge bonus ,
nor get the discounts traditional share holders get ,

further we got gst
[while the high tax earners got more tax cuts]

,the list goes on and on [basiclly on the premise of placing ever more burdon on the poor while giving aid and tax reform to the higher-income elites

Yes swan couldnt find the fat

because the fat has all been given to the all ready wealthy
[the poor now-carry the whole of the burdon,

its not-too-hard to-see labour has more-of-the-same [
now we poor are-stuck supporting the whole of this blood sucking elite

That even gets subsidy on their private schooling and their insurance ,
while we get bank fees and ever more extra charges ,while still supporting via our pay as WE go the elite perks [like subsidised medicine, that dosnt cure us but gets huge ammounts of tax dollars ,

as a form of coorperate welfare [noting the libs are propposing much the same again now for big oil]

so lets do away with this burdon on the poor
[bankfees, gst ,and bring back death duties] and a transaction tax ,of say half a percent
[thats no real burdon
[but better than the percentage we are now bonded to pay where drawing out pennies or billions costs an equal bank charge,

much-more burdon-some on the poor than the elite, but-such was howards-way

ONE UNDER GOD
I'm beginning to think you might be happier in Cuba

Thanks David, though I also think you're too kind to them.

The Government budget might have been balanced (not least from selling the family silver - great bookkeeping isn't it?), but PRIVATE debt has been going through the roof and and could be our subprime crisis.

See Steve Keen's work at
www.debtdeflation.com/blogs/

Nobody else seems to be looking at this most basic fact, least of all Treasury and RBA.

The one thing for which I will always remember John Howard, and for which I will be forever grateful, occurred on the 29th August, 2001, Tampa Day, when the armed forces of the Commonwealth prevented several hundred illegal immigrants from landing in Australia. The great racket called people smuggling came to an abrupt end, and has not resumed despite the election of a labor government. Kevin Rudd has had the sense to maintain the navy patrols that guard our borders, and protect us from the millions of third world immigrants that would come given half a chance.

The cheering that you could hear all over Australia, from the 80 or 90% of the population that supported Howard's action, was, of course ignored by the chattering classes, who only seem to favour something if it is against the national interest. Most people is Australia are profoundly uninterested in politics; it is only when a deep primal instinct comes to the fore, such as the principle that entry without leave constitutes invasion, that they become concerned at what is happening.

In the very traumatic decades that lie ahead, when global food shortages (caused mainly by population pressure, peak oil, and the need to turn a lot of food into biofuel), cause mass starvation in the third world, when nuclear war very likely ravages our planet, and when millions of people are desperate to escape the hell in which they live, the action of our armed forces in preventing their arrival here, if necessary by sinking their boats, will be even more necessary.

More than any other day so far, Tampa Day signalled one of the overriding issues of the 21st century. In a very difficult time, Australia will remain one of the best places to live, as it is the only country to have the four vital things:

1. A surplus of food.

2. A surplus of energy.

3. A surplus of minerals.

4. Most important of all, a sea boundary.

under one god, the rich are still paying a hell of a lot of tax (have a look at the ATO website under tax payable by income band).

In the 2004/5 financial year (last one there is data for)

The top 1% of income earners (over $201k per annum) paid 15.8% of all income tax paid.
The top 5% of income earners (over $97k per annum) paid 31.7% of all income tax paid.
The top 10% of income earners (over $75k per annum) paid 43.1% of all income tax paid.
The bottom 50% of income earners (under $36k per annum) paid 14.3% of all income tax paid.

As is clear from the people who collect the tax, the rich (not that I would call over $75K per annum a particularly high salary) DO pay their way.

It is precisely because higher income earners get taxed much more heavily than lower income earners that they get (deserve?)larger tax cuts. In any case the tax cuts are much higher for lower income earners in terms of the percentage of tax paid. A $10 dollar a week tax cut when you only pay $100 tax per week is much better than a $100 dollar a week tax cut if you pay $1500 tax per week.