Examinator and RobbyH

A member of no political party, I focus on performance and words, and follow the trails back to the beginning identifying trends, patterns, omissions, spin and responses.

It also pays to overlay this research with event start-stop time lines related to both global and domestic issues.

Yes, the world economy was facing a crisis. Australia however, had a surplus and no debt, and was far better placed than any other developed nation to minimize the potential effect of the crisis. Time was on our side for strategy development. Action was indeed required. Panic, misinformation, political posturing and reckless spending combined with a clear lack of coordination of responsible planning, was not.

Part II will soon take you on this journey from the election of the Rudd Government to the August 21 2010 election, where a government appeared not only guilty of glossing over facts and effects of failed policies by talking up faltering economies, but also resorted to talking up a recession for pure political gain.

The August 21 election appears a clear demonstration of the priorities of party politics for survival combined with power group plays in the most negative campaign ever foisted on the Australian voting public at the expense of clearly defining strategies, relying on rhetoric, spin, and a cargo cult mentality.

Both parties failed to define the strategies that will address the real situation for Australia's economy in the coming six and twelve months due to looming changes in our major trading partners' economies and that of the global economy as a whole.

Policy promises mean nothing until shown to be working, as clearly shown in the post Rudd election period. Can you blame people for being sceptical?

While the Liberals are also relying on continuing demand from China to return the Australian economy to surplus, their proposal to defer spending on the NBN appears to be the only option available to provide some form of reserve to address the unforeseen.

Arthur Thomas
August 22, 1010