PM Rudd's government has done well to handle the global financial crisis. It is a pity that they don't have someone like the self-promoting human headline Peter Costello to sell that for them.

What is very interesting in recent times is the increasing effectiveness of powerful lobby groups in using the media to sway public opinion. It is very concerning too for democracy.

It is incredible that the resignation of Mr Malcolm Fraser, one of the Liberals' star Prime Ministers and hard men - because he firmly believes the Liberals have moved too far right and their policies are in chaos - has attracted so little publicity.

One would have thought that the resignation of a previously staunch hero from the party would have been taken as a bellwether that all was far from good in the Liberal Party, let alone the oft-changed leadership.

After years of inaction on infrastructure and other major issues by the Howard ministry - of which Tony Abbott and some of his shadow front bench were part - it is only to be expected that a reforming government would encounter problems.

However while the lobbyists and commentators might flog PM Rudd hoping to lead the (assumed) Lemming electorate by the nose, it is very unlikely that voters will fail to notice the similarities between the hubris and excesses of the failed Howard government in its last days and what they see before them in the shape of Mr Abbott and his colleagues.

The dead parrot is the Liberal Party and the resignation of Mr Fraser underlines the truth of that.

Here we go again,

Haigs line is Rudd's hopeless and his supporters who are to the fore are tainted and lack ability. Those supporters who aren't to the fore are great value being wasted.
And of course the Liberals no matter what talent are unelectable.

How many times have have we seen this line run in State politic's in Queensland, NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, West Australia and the NT... over the past 20 years?

It's tantamont to proclaimung a one party state is the only way to run Australia and it's states.

Hey boyo, take a look at the mess in state run Health, Education, Transport and infrustructure, and the State debt, don't forget the state debts, regardless of who the labor mob proclaim as the next best thing since Geoff.

And now we see the same biased people advocating the same toxic state of affairs at federal level.

When are you blokes going to wake up to yourselves?

Labor regardless of the talentless Union bakground 'talent' always result in big spending, big taxing, big debt, inefficent services, waste ... and higher interest rates.

Mr Denmore, how is "cozying up to the bush admin" different to "the diplomat" a%*# licking everybody from Obama to the Chinese premier in order to sell the farm, mine, house, rail, ports, everything whether nailed down or not, to the lowest bidder, or securing a UN job, like Senator Gareth Gareth Evans also used to do?

I could not possibly agree with you more about the desire to move on to a more centrist politics. The Raving, Right are equally as repugnant as the Loony, Left, but recognising climate change does not automatically mean an ETS, Economic Treason Scam.

I do however disagree with your assessment of the politics of Howard's election loss. There were only 2 reasons the conservatives lost in 07.

1, "Work Choices".

2, Hanging around too long, there was a perception of people being tired of "Howard's" cleverness as a politician. If he had arranged an orderly hand over to Costello, or Abbott, Hockey, Barnaby, indeed any, of the other popular leadership hopefuls, without "Work Choices" the Conservatives could have, still won in 07 & almost certainly will in 2010, never again.

Krudd promised much but how could any allegedly, sensible, centrist in the red/green/getup/labour coalition ever achieve anything fair or reasonable when they are tied down by the Radical, Extreme, Loony, Left, Communist, Anarchist, Socialist, Factions?

The Conservatives have some divisions, but they are being moved back towards the middle now, by Tony Abbott. Expelling Fauxmanistas within their own ranks like Dr Ingrid Tall would be very popular indeed with swinging voters. Real, normal, women like Sophie Mirrabella, who love their Husbands & children will always go down better, in the electorate, than shrieking Extremists of the Fe"Man"Nazi type.

I think that this is the beginning of the end for Labor.As economic managers they have failed consistantly for the last 50 yrs to be fiscally disciplined and true to the voter base they profess to represent.

We need a new political party based on libertarian values where the individual is once again made responsible for their actions and rewarded accordingly.The socialist state creates more problems than it solves.We now see the results of generations of dysfunctional people incapable of personal discipline and expect the state compensate them for their lack of due diligence.

The nanny state is destroying the very fabric of innovation,creativity and responsiblity.

That said,the corporates also need to be put in their place.They have too much power over both the major parties.Free trade needs to be repalaced by fair trade and many of these large corporate cartels need to be broken up.

We have allowed fiat money distort the real wealth in our economies.People have been left out of the equation and now we have the false economy of derivatives,hedge funds,credit default swaps,sub-prime mortages etc,that sucks the life blood of real production and true happiness.

Cornfolower I find your statement a little odd to be honest "One would have thought that the resignation of a previously staunch hero from the party would have been taken as a bellwether that all was far from good in the Liberal Party, let alone the oft-changed leadership."

Malcolm has been sniping at the Liberal Party for over 15 years now, people are sick of it in the party and have been for ages - there is respect for a former PM, sure, but he has certainly changed his colors over the years.

His current concern for how history will treat him is well founded, as he did nothing with power, except preen and plot, much like Rudd.

His attempt to appear "progressive" now is interesting to those of us who remember when he was Minister for the Army before he was PM, and sent young Australian conscripts to die in Vietnam .. some of us remember this with much bitterness.

He has never apologised nor even talked about his role in this military debacle.

He deserves to be remembered for what he was, a calculating, do nothing, prissy dillitante, much like Rudd.

Sorry, Cornflower, but slapping Liberals with Malcolm's "legacy", is a wasted cause.

I too remember Malcolm with intense dislike. I would suggest his reign marked the beginning of the true corruption of Australia's political process; awarding so called 'representatives' more than generous salary rises when the rest of us were exhorted to 'tighten our belts', to the point where our reps can only be said to represent themselves.
Having said that, however, I tend to agree with Cornflower. It is both the majors who have been two stepping to the right over the past few decades, not Fraser who has changed.
Oz is indeed a funny place. Our 'Liberals' are conservative, and our Prime Minister (Mr Sheen) is a millionaire labour hire company beneficiary, who doesn't like unions yet still somehow claims to be 'Labor'.