As always with economic illiterates, they squander resource booms. Like mining boom one and two, now a minor third mining boom.

Moreover, when it comes to retaining power, their usual strategy is to sell everything not nailed down so a to be able to pork barrel (spend like drunken sailors) to just sandbag marginal seats. And then portray themselves as the better economic managers!?

When instead, we should have used fortuitous windfall revenue to build stuff that like the things we used to own, generated valuable income. Mining booms one and two should have been invested in our own sovereign fund. And the only genuine mandate any of the money spending parties ever had!

Which together with our own telco, banks, insurance companies, power generators and numerous other government-owned peoples' property could have ensured tax rates were progressively lowered when we were earning income from our investments!

The end result of this massive mismanagement and personal enrichment? A much smaller taxpaying cohort carrying a much greater load as we continue to support a middle tier of entirely surplus, middle tier middleman government.

Which adds at least 70 annual billions to the cost of government added to by as much as an additional 30% by overly officious centralisation.

A bill of rights that must include a citizens' initiated referendum is now essential, so we can reverse some of the more spurious decisions of self-evident, self-serving numbskulls!

Which should be replaced by far more regional autonomy and volunteering boards of retired professionals. To manage water and hospitals etc! And massively decrease taxation by rationalising government service and administration!

Not by wasting windfall mining revenue!

What happens when if we haven't already, hit or traverse peak mining. And all we have are huge holes in the ground!? Well!?

Why can't we emulate a much smaller and resource-poor Singapore have done! As we would have but for the fact we allowed ourselves to be fooled by mantra chanting, right-wing, ideological idiots!?
Alan B.

right-wing, ideological idiots!?
Alan B,
Just a different mentality after all, they are a weird mob, or so it's said ! Just wait if Shorten & co get in the squandering will start again & then price hikes will follow. All will be as per usual !
The see-sawing of the Australian politics way of managing.
That's why selective immigration is needed to flush the gene pool to prevent the population from becoming a mob of cut-wing, flightless ideological idiots!?

oops, that should be clipped-wing