G'day Pete,
Anything in the upcoming budget for the poor, or working poor? We are badly in need of assistance. With your projected budget surplus of $17 billion, you could help us out greatly, were you to provide some infastructure in the Health and Transport Departments. Education is another needy area, public education that is with approx 70% of all students. North Queensland is bereft of infastructure, despite our rapidly growing population. Could you please allocate funding to State Governments for things like housing, hospitals, Bruce Highway, schools, public transport etc.

The nation has been crying out for services not tax cuts, your surplus will not help one child find a hospital bed, and provide treatment. Could you please advise why it is that Private hospitals are not required to provide Emergency Wards for patients who pay Private health insurance?

When Workchoice legislation begins to bite, how will ordinary low income families continue to pay their mortages? These and many other questions are on the minds of we ordinary Australians, sincerely hope you can provide some straight answers, remember Christians are supposed to tell the truth, even Hillsong Christians.

Tax Cuts or Health Improvements ?

How much do I benefit from $5 extra a week if I die in the emergency room due to lack of staff ?

The observations about deregulation of banking and other points made by Gusi etc are well taken.

The good fortune of this government has depended on many factors, some of them quite by historical chance as Gusi has noted.

1/ WE WANT A PEOPLES BANK !

2/ WE WANT ADEQUATE FUNDING FOR HEALTH CARE !

Without the first, we will be desperately in need of the 2nd, due to stress, overwork and poverty.

There are limits to how much you can dig out of the ground, and when its gone...its GONE for GOOD.

Peter.. you would be aware, I'm sure, of King Hezekiah, with your Christian background.. remember his response to Isaiah the prophet who told him the disasters to befall Israel from the Babylonians would not occurr in his lifetime ? He said.."Ah.. the word of the Lord is GOOD" for he thought it will not happen while he is alive.

What does it profit a man or a nation, if it digs its future from the ground, and sells it off for short term gain, and loses its soul ?

Selling of capital items might make a profit and loss report look very good for those greedy shareholders and give justification for the CEO's bonus this year, but the balance sheet tells the real story.

'Ellaborately enhanced technology' ? as if this is a hope for our future when China is producing 35,000 engineers a year... do they know nothing about value adding ?

My sincere advice to all who can do it is this: (As I've done)

Buy up at least an acre or 5 somewhere u can be self sustaining if need be. Make friends with Italians and Asians who can usually extract 10 times the produce we can from the same land, and seek as quickly as possible to become debt free.. things are going to change.... and I wish I could say 'for the better'.

P.Costello-be Honest and tell the People of Australia the Truth -the Economy has been good because of the Previous Reforms put in place by Hawke-Keating -Administration -You P-Costello and J-Howard -must once and for all stop Blaiming someone-else for your Mistakes you been there for 10 Years -i think 10 years to many -by the way P-Costello i feel SORRY for You -J-Howard has been treating you with Contempt --i voted Conservative on Many Occasions -but i am beginning to DISLIKE J-Howard he is a greedy insensitive-kind of a MAN.if 5-Years back had he decided to step down and let you run the SHOW my views would be different P-Costello i really think you would have been a Good P-M -without the influence of a greedy man like j-Howard the man is very SELFISH-good luck old PAL

Sneer boy how are you. What a puffed up fellow you are.Are you still a fully paid up member of the HR Nichols society? That society committed to ongoing wealth creation for the already wealthy.How many other Govt's have former Leaders and Ministers who tell the world the current crop have made them ashamed of thier country? Your legacy will not be good Pete. Your recent IR activities will rot the fabric of our society over the next 10 years.

That will be your legacy, the creation of the working poor.A public Health system that will not meet the nations needs. A public education system that will not allow us to be a smart nation. Dishonesty and spin as the hallmark of Govt.

In different times it would be off with your heads. PS: How is the war going and how much has that cost?

At least he is not bitter and has to lay blame.

Do you think by your savage words you will get your point through? I bet you would not say it standing in front of him.

That spit by some of you was to make yourselves feel better, not to assist Peter with your insight.

Thanks folks for confirming there are plenty of whingers out there who need a scapegoat for their own misery.

Realist,
I would be happy to say it to his face, I would even visit his "loony" pentacostal church at hillsong, to ask him. My problem is twofold, firstly I exist on a disability pension {not live} secondly the "goat track" Sarina to Cairns section of the National Highway remains un-upgraded since 1985, even with Pete having $17 billion in the bank.

National infastructure has been sacrificed to obtain a huge surplus, Government debt is down, personal debt is up at $400 billion, does that indicate anything to you mate?

Pete, I have a great deal of patience, however a growing number of North Queenslanders do not, three coalition seats up here could go if you don't come up with something very quickly.