May god protect us from daring and courageous governments.

Reinterpreted that would be foolish & erratic, which would describe the Rudd & Gillard disasters quite well. What we need is governments of almost any other kind but that. Slow & carefully considered would be a better ideas for governments.

If Howard had been more cautious he would have hastened more slowly with the much needed changes to the workplace. He could have moved our system to tomorrow quite easily, but taking it for a "courageous" leap into the middle of next centaury left almost everyone behind, precipitating the mess we now have.

Surely we don't need any more of grasshopper Rudd's method of landing on an area, changing it dramatically, then leaping off to something else to bugger up, an instant later.

It is bad enough that Abbott can go a bit mushy at times, with his maternity leave mess, & aboriginals in the constitution silliness, but hopefully his other ministers will keep him grounded. No one can be perfect all the time, even an Abbott. Hell even I was wrong once, I think.

@Killarney,

<< But the prevailing wisdom that people hate paying taxes is overrated and overblown. One of the great moments of Australian television was on the Q&A episode when Barbaby Joyce asked the audience 'Who wants to pay more tax?' and most of the audience put up their hands.>>

ROFLMAO

What would/do you expect from an ABC audience?

For the audience it likely translated to: who wants others to pay more tax?

Judged by the titter responses/feed along the bottom of the screen during Q&A, in the lead up to the election, the ALP should have won by a huuuuuuuuuuuuge landslide.

SPQR, I think you nailed in suggesting that its more about wanting others to pay more tax. As far as I'm aware the option is always there to pay more tax. I have trouble picturing the government refusing periodic checks being sent to them by civic minded individuals concerned that their taxes are too low.

As for me I detest the reality that if I'm trying to deal with a pressing financial need or save for a planned future need and I get the opportuity to earn more by working more my tax obligation goes up. If I didn't need the money there are a lot better things I would be doing with my time.

Current tax laws take no account of the effort people put in for their income nor of their needs, there is no fairness to the system.

I've long thought that for most taxpayers tax liability should be a certain number of hours worked at their average pay. For those who don't work sufficient hours they would have more spare time for involement in unpaid work that benefits the community to make up their obligation.

As for the main topic, I think the smart money for this term is for the government to rebuild trust with the electorate and not do things that were not on the agenda before the election. Complete the slogans used in the election, develop a platform of needed changes while they have access to the books and resources of government and take it to the electorate. If that platform is ready well before the next election is due then call an early election and put it to the vote.

R0bert