"My observations (since the early 1970s) are that conservative parties and leaders in Australia and elsewhere are much more prone to misrepresentation, broken commitments and outright lies than reformist politicians and parties."

And my impression is pretty much the direct opposite, the socialists saying whatever it takes to try and win elections and doing everything they can to make telling the truth way to politically risky. Dragging the wole thing down.

I don't think either side regularly use lies that are easily provable after the event, more the kind of lie that if you want to give them the benefit of the doubt there is some space to do so.

Did Bligh and co really not have any idea of the state of the Qld economy when they went to the last election, only discovering weeks after the election that things were so bad that they would have to sell off assets and drop the fuel subsidy despite denials of those plans during the election cmapaign? In Julia's case I suspect that she didn't expect to be able to implement her tax, when she got the chance keeping a committment was less important than power.

R0bert

@Shadow Minister, do you realise how ridiculous you sound?

John Howard promised there would be "No GST. Never, ever." He clearly broke that commitment and abandoned that promise in the run-up to the 1998 election – without anyone forcing him to do so in any way whatsoever. Yet you describe this as him having “the integrity to admit he was wrong”.

But when Julia is forced by a cliffhanger election, a hung parliament, a potential constitutional crisis and the demands of the independents, the Greens and her own party to break a commitment and abandon a promise, you say she “deliberately lied.”

And do you truly believe Tony Abbott “could not recall” his meeting with the cardinal at the presbytery the week before? Really? Did you see the clip?

We are laughing at you, not with you, SM.

@Robert, regarding this: “I don't think either side regularly use lies that are easily provable after the event, more the kind of lie that if you want to give them the benefit of the doubt there is some space to do so.”

I am yet to be convinced both sides are equally guilty, Robert. But open to persuasion based on evidence.

Here is another example which would seem highly relevant:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc5ljcri6Nk

So again, do you have examples of blatant lies – false statements made knowingly - from Julia Gillard or other reformist MPs equivalent to that of Tony Abbott’s blatant porkie on Lateline? [excluding on leadership challenges and climate science.]

Anyone?