Treasury provides the budget info, Indy, not Rudd. Abbott said he'd use the Independent pre-election fiscal outlook (PEFO) from the Treasury and Finance departments, but it hasn't happened. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-09/abbott-to-use-pefo-figures-as-base-for-costings/4876554

Labor has adhered fully to the PEFO, the LNP wants the imprimatur of the PEFO without addressing it adequately or in time for real scrutiny.

The only reason the GST question is still burning is because LNP promises are not costed or budgeted. Something has to give, less expenditure or greater income, according to the PEFO. Higher income tax is out, company tax cuts are in, carbon pricing and the mining tax are out, the GST will not rise, there will be no slashing of welfare, pensions will not be decompensated with the removal of carbon pricing, health will benefit, education (Gonski) carries on, as does the NDIS, a parental leave scheme for the wealthy, defense spending will rise, and the list goes on.

But all this should be irrelevant because the LNP has a "Plan"?

The LNP strategy, that you can fool some of the people all of the time and some for just enough time, attempts to turn the election into a mad flag race. Abbott is the race favorite according to the bookies, and Rupert has decided Australia should change government(like a good little country). The next three weeks will be torrid, but we are a nation together and that lives on.

Chris; I'm sorry you didn't like this article as I usually respect your opinion - regardless of my being a fair bit to the Left of you on some issues.

But if you want to talk about 'pluses' form a Labor Govt then there's the following:

* Limits on middle class welfare; maintain co-payments for low income earners contributing to their superannuation; Finish the NBN; implement the NDIS; guaranteed billions more for public education; no 'industrial war' with the building unions; implement emissions trading...

ON Aged Care neither party has enough to say - I'm beginning to feel the Greens are the final hope to get something done there. :-(

Perhaps you'd be more interested in my response to Chris Bowen's book? Have you read it? He seems to identify with a Crosland-esque position - but calls it 'social liberalism'. Might be a while getting around to finishing it, though. Lots I disagree with too.

I thought I might save it for after the election, though - As that's when Labor will be soul-searching - win or lose.....

The reason why debate has become so boring is because of fear of making a 'gotcha' statement, which the media seize on. The ALP has especially imported a gotcha spin merchant. The result is nobody is game to say anything except platitudes.

Luciferase,
that link is not ALP biased at all is it ? If you can ask Abbott about policy costing then you should be able to ask Rudd also. Are his policy costings better that Abbott's ? I doubt it very much.
If you can dispute Abbott's costings then you must have information that the money isn't there now, so where would Rudd get it from ? More borrowing perhaps ? If you already know that there isn't enough money in the coffers for Abbott to use then tell us right now.

Tristan, you say "ON Aged Care neither party has enough to say - I'm beginning to feel the Greens are the final hope to get something done there."

What a typically dumb thing to suggest. Have you ever done any math. Can you add up well enough to get a handle on our crazy amount of borrowing, run up during a boom.

There is nothing like enough money for the NBN, the Gonski schools pipe dream, or the disability insurance thing, none of which is funded in the current budget.

Where do you think we should go for more money to spend on more programs for the oldies. As one past his three score plus ten I would be like to benefit from increased aged care spending, but I am not greedy, or self centered enough to throw any more load on our kids & grand kids to gain that benefit. Many of them are having enough trouble balancing their own budget, after greenie inspired new taxes have added to the load.

Until we get back on the straight & narrow, living with in our means, & debt free, it should be a matter of looking for savings, not more ways to do the Greek thing. Wanting to initiate new spending is just crazy.

Tristan, I do respect your efforts, as I do with other efforts that express and address concern for ordinary workers and people.

Thing is that partisan politics, that excludes the many weaknesses offered by Rudd and Labor, is hardly going to encourage policies that better balance the creation of wealth with welfare needs, the hallmark of any half-smart modern society. Rudd is a reasonable election campaigner, but I don’t think he is that capable of putting all the pieces together.

New challenge for both Coalition and Labor is how we reposition Australia for the future to restore viable and competitive manufacturing sector that adds value to commodity sectors, at least to some extent; how we trim or welfare sector so that it remains mean-tested and fair, and how we address first home buyers needs rather than allow foreigners and the rich to own a much higher percentage of the housing stock. All of this is easier said than done, but we can address such issues.

Sure, the Coalition is light on details about how it will reverse Aust’s problems, but so is Rudd and Labor. As you would know, things have still got worse after six years of Labor for many people, so this suggests that we are now in a difficult phase in democracy terms in holding on to many of the gains achieved in recent decades (continued).