Kipp - Quote "Phillip S, you have proved my point."

You sir are either totally delusional or you don't understand and comprehend the English language.

Please be so kind as to activate brain before applying fingers to the keyboard in future so as to not inflict such mindless nonsense upon readers.

Alan, your exact words were-

"Point 11. Australia has zoomed to the top of the table of well-managed economies. That's based on all the key variables. Not just in the world now, but anywhere, any time."

Point 13 " Best economy in the world is creditable enough. Best the world has ever seen is more impressive still. But achieved during the worst global economic crisis since the 1930s? How is this conceivable?"

Your premise is, that the Australian economy under Julia Gillard is the best managed economy in the history of the human race. Gee, I would have thought that a government which took a $16 billion surplus bequeathed to it by a former Liberal treasurer during a time of low commodity prices, and who turned that into a $365 billion dept black hole during a time of high commodity prices (and ever more creative taxation policies), is evidence enough to an electorate of total economic mismanagement? Especially when they have been in deficit for five successive years.

Most people can understand that any person can give the impression of prosperity if they max out on their credit cards, and that is what Gillard and Swan are doing. The only reason why the IMF has not called in the bailiffs is because the bankers understand the cyclical nature of Australian politics. Responsible Liberal governments balance the budget, which is followed by Labor's spend, spend, spend in order to buy popularity, followed by a responsible Liberal government which puts us back in the black.

Australia is doing better than the rest of the world not because of Gillard and Labor, but in spite of them.

And it is not so much that Australia is doing great, but because Europe and the USA are doing so badly. The primary reason for that, is because the dependent classes in these countries keep growing while the productive classes keep shrinking. Angela Merkel said it succinctly when she said "Europe is doing badly because we have 16% of the world's population, 26% of the world's production, and 56% of the worlds welfare recipients."

Morning all,

@individual, re: “you are saying Australia is simply the best out of a bad lot.”

No. Australia is not just ahead of struggling nations. Australia now beats all nations.

Re, “I in the so-called best country only just make ends meet & take extreme measures to protect my property & loved ones. How does this equate?”

Not even the best-run economies provide riches for all, Indi. Yes, many Australians are struggling. [I’m in a depressed region now.]

Remember we’re in the worst global downturn since the 1930s.

@LEGO, yes, those are valid conclusions: “Australia has zoomed to the top of the table of well-managed economies. That's based on all key variables."

The clarification related to your term ‘presumes’. And now ‘premise’. These are not presumptions or premises. Lego. They are conclusions based on evidence. The distinction is important.

The thrust of this article – and others earlier – is when we examine actual data, we reach different conclusions from when we don’t.

Australia’s mainstream media – Murdoch, Fairfax and now the ABC – has adopted the presumption that Labor has been incompetent. And has amplified that ceaselessly. But not with valid analysis of data.

It makes up fake quotes from authorities:
http://www.presscouncil.org.au/document-search/adj-1562/

It fabricates news:
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=13338

It uses dodgy academics:
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=14715

And is succeeding. Many Australians now believe “Liberals good, Labor bad” based on this constant misreporting. As in North Korea. “Kim Jong-un good, opponents bad.”

Re, “I would have thought a government which took a $16 billion surplus … and turned that into a $365 billion dept black hole”

Ever bought a house Lego? That means substantial debt. But is usually highly strategic. I had a mortgage once. Now have a house debt-free. Had I taken a bigger mortgage I'd now be even better off.

It’s just not true all debt is bad. Often, the bigger the debt the better. This is true for families, businesses and nations.

Remember, Lego:

1. Australia’s borrowings are very low in comparative terms.

2. Applying those borrowings effectively in 2009-10 is what rocketed Australia to the top of the world!

Cheers

Alan, your conclusions are based on narrowly defined metrics which are not informative. More than 50% of Australian GDP is derived from consumption expenditure, including the consumption of services that are only required to support a model in which all parents work outside the home except some of those with infants or neonates. As you say, the global economy is floundering and there is no doubt that it will get weaker before it gets stronger, which will impact Australia's ability to employ many of the occupations that are currently largely female-dominated, including administration and legal services. Because the economy is heavily geared to provide services for those people, a reduction in their employment will cause a cascade of economic effects through the retail and services sectors in a positive feedback that will be hard to stop.

We are not structurally sound, we have an economic house of cards.

Mornin Alan.

I have already demolished your "valid conclusions based upon evidence" as the creative interpretations of barely significant events which would not impress the electorate, even if the normally left wing press thought that they were significant enough to publicise.

It is amusing that you are blaming the press for not extolling these triumphs of economic management, which you claim that the Gillard Government has achieved. Until recently, with the advent of internet blogs, shock jock radio, and the Murdoch Fox press, there has been little diversity of opinion in the press.

The press in Australia has long had a persistent left wing bias that reflected the values of the university Artz and Humanities graduates who occupy it. If the predominantly left wing press (yourself excluded) can not find anything it can use to endorse Labor, perhaps it is because they can't find anything to misrepresent that they can crow about?

The "cash for comment" scandal that erupted around John Laws was instructive to the public. Instead of the press being considered by people like me as fearless seekers of the truth, they are now perceived as fearless seekers of ratings and popularity. In addition, they are considered by the public to be public relations mercenaries who are not averse to biting the hands of those not feeding them. They can also be perceived as wild eyed left wing ideological zealots who are not averse to embellishing the truth by massaging the facts to fit their left leaning philosophies. Sound familiar?

Now, on the subject of Australia's growing dept. If I had bought a house for $365 billion I would expect it to be a very nice house and a sound investment. The question the public is asking, is where in the hell did all that money go? Other than the new Broadband network that nobody wants anyhow, hundreds of school halls that are too small, a lot of pink batts which resulted in a hundred house fires, what did we have to show for this fantastic sum of money which the Labor Party has squandered?

Alan Austin,
What conditions do the pensioners of other countries live in if Australia is the best country ?
I know for a fact that pensioners in central Europe receive some 75% of their average income in pension. It's not that generous here by miles. Is it that pensioners do not count in your financial manipulation circle ? Have you ever tried to get dental work done in Australia ? Or is dental work not in the financial manipulation game either. Do those managers who run away with peoples' Super funds get away with it in other countries as they do here ? I have spent some time in a country that receives hundreds of millions in aid from Australia yet that country can afford a far more effective criminal deterrence than what we have here. That country also receives hundreds of thousands of tourist visitors more than Australia. They CREATE manufacturing industries in contrast to Australia LOSING them. Yeah well, the financial manipulation system Pie looks really great but our slice of it is too small to see..