Gillard was one of the worst PM's of all. She passed masses of bad legislation, mostly to entrench bad policy and economic damage to Australia's economy that will last decades. She was beholden to the Unions. She was working for them, not for the good of Australia. The mining tax was a dreadful piece of legislation and would have done enormous damage if it had survived. But any government would have had to renege on its obligations. The carbon tax was another disastrous piece of legislation - the purpose of which was political and ideological. And then there was her illegal immigrant invasion (50,000 of them) and children locked up in detention. All Gillard's and Rudd's doing. These were what should be known as the "Invasion Days". And deficit and debt locked in for decades to come. What an absolute disaster. So much more that could be listed.

Why weren't you objective?

You article certainly reveals your political persuasion!

That's priceless Peter that's Runner level pathology.

Great article Everald my list would be a little different but the the same conclusion, oh for a decent leader.

Books have been written about the successes of Howard's early years as PM and his wasting of the nation's once in a lifetime opportunity towards the end as he desperately clung to office. He left a nation with structural deficits which subsequent budgets have not corrected. He also destroyed Australians' faith in the future by replacing it with fears of change and mean spirits.

History will treat Julia Gillard well. She very smartly and productively worked with a minority and surprised many with her skill as a negotiator. The Misogyny Speech is the equal of anything left by Robert Menzies. She achieved against an unedifying headwind from shock jocks and human headlines. If Kevin Rudd, Tony Abbott or our current PM had Julia's talents Australia would be in much better condition in 2016.

Unfortunately, negativity is now the ruling philosophy - tearing things down is more important than building up. What is gained by agenda-driven ripping into unions or employers, repealing legislation, sacking the best and brightest leaders in CSIRO, forcing removal of the Solicitor General, dismissing the head of the Dept of Agriculture and destroying the Human Rights Commissioner? Unfortunately, the same sickness afflicts all including minor parties at federal level. Where are the nation-builders and the leaders with vision?

The time-servers, the unlovable and single talent politicians who come from the shallow end of Australia's talent pool must go. Repair requires major surgery including replacement of 100 or more of the low achievers sitting on both sides of the Speaker's chair.

Whether Liberal or Labor,the party that first nominates a high quality team will provide the next high quality Prime Minister and a united Cabinet capable of working with departmental heads.

That leader will have more than slogans as their guide.

Suppose we agree with most of this Everald? How old did you say you were? One doesn't remember Barton, even if he came from Tassie and simply has to bow to the preservative qualities of a single malt.

Mine was two fingers of Bird and made here in Tassie and exported almost to the very last drop, to Scots, connoisseurs of the occasional wee doc an doris?

Levity aside, the real question must be? Ben Chiefly or his modern day equivalent, where the bloody hell are ya?
Alan B.

I agree with most of what you say apropos Malcolm TURNBULL, though my absolute top complaint I have with him is trust, I simply don't trust the man and I suspect many others are of the same opinion.

Your ranking of Ms GILLARD is in my view erroneous. She should be rated among the very worst PM's we've ever had, if not the worst. I suspect some wouldn't agree with me, but that's OK after all we're only in the process of providing our own opinion, as to the appropriate ranking of PM's, is all?

No one seems to be singing the praises of Tony Abbott. The best thing that he could do would be to call his faction of of Neanderthals together and say to them "Listen you lot, if this government is going to be useful, we must get behind Malcolm Turnbull and support him in the things he wishes to do. You elected him to be the leader, so stop trying to undermine him".
Having done that, the standing of both men would increase and Malcolm could become the great leader which we expected.

David

."Hawke and Keating organised an economic revolution and the Howard years were ones of prosperity."

Another example of the authors Labor bias and lack of balance. No attempt to give credit where credit is due. Some points that could have been made if even handed:

- many of the most important economic changes implemented by Hawke were those Howard had developed and left to Hawke to implement (many blocked by Fraser). These reforms made by Hawke were strongly supported by Howard in Opposition, so all Hawke had to do was to persuade the unions to go along with them.

- However, when Howard won government, Labor, instead of supporting good policy (such as the GFC and sale of Telstra to name just two), were relentlessly negative from the get go. Labor set the president of unconstructive, relentless negativity. Labor is perfecting it now.

- Howard Government was highly competent but blocked from doing as much as it could have done because of Labor's irresponsible, relentless negativity.

- Howard government deserves credit for the economic success during its decade in government. It sorted out the budget debt and deficit crises left by Labor (as virtually all Labor governments do) and gave business confidence the government would not continually stuff them around, as Labor under control of the unions invariably do.

- also recall the screams from the laborites complaining that the government should not be running large surpluses, it's not the government's money, it's ours, give it back. Laborites now ignore history or like to try to revise it.

- regarding the hate filled speech and the vitriol - it is the political Left that is largely responsible for that - e.g. calling people who do not accept their ideological/religious beliefs "Deniers" as just one very clear example. That's just one example of their continually hatefilled pejorative language. What could be more disgraceful than that?

Then of course there is the continuous flow ofmean-spotited, hate-filled comments from misandrists like Gillard and the female Labor politicans - Emily's List https://www.emilyslist.org.au/about/our-history and many of the Labor-Greens

By being politically correct and a muddler, Malcolm, like Rudd and Gillard, does not justify a ranking higher than LOW among Australian PMs.

Malcolm has failed to do anything of note since he knifed Tony Abbott in the back.

He certainly ranks below Abbott.

Raycom,

I agree. here are just some of Abbott's achievements - in just 2 years as PM!

• Stopping the boats,

• scrapping the carbon and mining taxes, ¬

• accelerating budget repair,

• the signing of trade agreements with Japan, South Korea and China,

• removing support for the ailing car industry,

• refusing ¬financial support for (now profitable) Qantas,

• repealing red and green tape,

• the creation of innovation growth centres,

• Royal Commission into Union Corruption and Governance (and therefore also into Labor & Greens corruption, integrity and lack of ethics), and

• the commissioning of papers on

o tax reform,
o northern Australia and
o the federation

These are but some of the Abbott government’s successes.

The record is impressive and will surprise many.

To give credit where it's due, Hawke and Keating presided over fiscally conservative changes that included driving labor further to the right?

Whereas, (fiscal illiterate) Howard rammed his regressive G.S.T. down our throats, as his only considered response to the almost universal off-shoring of corporate Australia, taking their tax liabilities with them. Quote unquote.

Then squandered mining booms mark one and two; and their rivers of gold, buying votes with pork barreling and welfare for the rich? Power and its retention being the only compelling priority!?

Moreover, you can't polish a turd, unless fully fossilized? Like some of the brains on the ultra-conservative ultra-socialist side of politics?

There once was a shining light on the hill! The day it went out, even his chief rival, Mr Menzies wept!

And the day we buried our last political visionary! Simply put in real measurable terms, we been going backwards ever since! As has bipartisan pragmatism and putting the real national interest ahead of all other considerations?

Now, it's just winning at all costs and the winner takes it all! And what else can we sell or duck shove? Moreover, nobody cares anymore!?

New ideas? What a novel quaint eccentricity! Real nation building reform? The very idea! Go wash your mouth out!
Alan B.

Peter Lang, a very useful summary of Abbott's many achievements.

o sung wu,
"I suspect some wouldn't agree with me"
What's the bet 80% of those people would be women, and they would also think you are sexist, no matter what your reasons.

And what does that tell us?
I dare not ask...