Appropriately, Kevin Rudd is under intense scrutiny while his government navigates the global financial crisis. But mixed in with the objective analysis and critique from journalists and bloggers is a great deal of find-an-excuse-to-condemn-at-all-costs sledging from rusted-on Liberal Party spruikers, e.g. the entire staff of The Australian.

So, what would our political circus look like today if the Libs had scraped in at the last election? I'd guess:

1. John Howard would, of course, still be PM.

2. Peter Costello would be on the back benches, replaced as Treasurer by...who? Tony Abbott, probably.

3. The management of the GFC would be identical, except Howard would be dumping money directly into the best-lobbied businesses and trying to parlay it into permanent subsidies: business-class welfare.

4. Do you remember that a bunch of blokes were charged with terrorism offences last year? If Howard were in the Lodge now, we'd be reminded every hour, and it would be a mandatory reference for any minister when answering questions.

5. Janet Albrechtsen and Andrew Bolt would seem slightly less irrelevant.

Your take?

What if the Libs had won?

1) There would not have been any apology to our First Australians.

2) The Kyoto protocol would not have been signed.

3) The massive industrial relations changes would continue.
Workforce conditions would deteriorate.

4) Women and children would still be locked up behind barbed wire.

5) Australian citizens would continue to be locked up or deported.

6) Exploitation of the armed forces for political purposes would continue.

7) The old and the poor and the disabled would be worse off.

8) The Immigration Department would continue to reject the
egalitarian values that greeted refugees in the 1950s.

9) Anti-terrorism legislation would be strengthened.

10) Our taxes would increase.

11) In-house fighting amongst the party-elite would continue.

12) Blaming the Labor Party for their inability to solve problems
would continue.

13)The auto industry would collapse.

14) The rich would get tax benefits.

15) Australia would be out of step with the current American
Government.

16) Australia would become a meaner, more diminished nation.

It took the Australian Electorate 10 years to finally wake up.
It has been suggested in the past to limit the Prime Minster's
Term in Office. That may be something worth thinking about...

In additional to Foxy's ideas,
1. the health system would have huge problems,
2 the education system would have huge problems,
3.the wellfair system would colapse,
4. The privitasion would be on the TOP, probably the beaches, the roads and even the air would pass to private bussiness hands.
4 the military expenses would go very high,
5 Howard's government would share its power with white supremasists and extrem nationalist,
6 Australia would expele from Human Rights Commission of UN,
7 The International reputation of Australia would be under the zero
Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

Hmm. It's easy to say that things would just continue as they were, but I'm more interested in specifics: exactly what would a Howard government do in this situation that the Rudd government isn't?

Well we would not have had the debacle regarding

underwriting bank deposits which caused the run on the super funds.

we would not have seen the efforts of taxpayers in building a budget surplus squandered on $10 billion orgy of vote buying, which made no impact on GDP or job security.

We would not have seen house prices rise because of the increased payment of grants for first time buyers, wooing people into mortgages they might not be able to afford when they lose their jobs in 2009.

We would not have been sold down the river by signing Kyoto

Claims to the collapse of the auto industry are exaggerated, Fords in USA said they did not need bailing out... the GM problem is due to a stupid union agreement GM signed up for along with poor management and US Chrysler has been a cot case for the past decade, that is why they removed themselves from manufacture in Australia a couple of decades ago.

Regarding the rich getting tax cuts.. they were promised by Krudd when he sucked up to get elected.

Of course, being a lying socialist he might rescind them, like Keatings "tax cuts are LAW" disgrace

and the point to note with tax... the innovators and investors who become the wealthier, are the ones whose energies and risk management actually lay the golden tax eggs and employ people in jobs and keep the economy cycling...

The health system has huge problems, despite more Krudd broken promises... "the buck stops with me" - well it certainly has... stopped... with Krudd... nothing happens regrdless of the faux-compassion and fake promises

Welfare systems cannot collapse.. that is plain silly

Howard share power with white supremicists and extreme natioalists?...

pure delusion

Expel UNHCR - total garbage...

"The International reputation of Australia would be under the zero"

Prove it

Provide some of the details which would Justify the last three of your stupid and ridiculous claims....

because as far as a sensible response to Sancho's reasonable question, you have posted derisory and fraudulent bunkum.

"....because as far as a sensible response to Sancho's reasonable question, you have posted derisory and fraudulent bunkum."

TB; I agree. YOU have indeed. Same old same old, eh?