The 22 conservative years of conservative government between 1950 and 1972 will be hard to beat and remember Menzies came very close to defeat in 1961.
An ALP victory this time or next, as in the past, would have a salutary effect on the electorate.
Unfortunately every generation must learn through bitter experience.

It's a bit much for Mr.Costello to complain; the pot calling the kettle black. At last the Coalition has realized that the ironically named "Work Choices" is a misnomer; miners might be doing alright, but there are several workers who are far worse off as a result of how people are fairing under "Work Choices". Could you please oficially release the figures Mr. Costello.

The morality of squandering tax payers money to push partisan policies through tv and newspaper adds is beyond belief (eg Health Insurance and "Work Choices" etc). The adds are clearly designed to put a spin on the damage that the Coalition Government has perpetrated against the electorate. The interest rate spin from the last election could very well come back to haunt the Coalition.
Mr. Howard might be considered the King Interest Creator, he had huge interest rates when he was treasurer, and lately numerous people with mortgages would have some very negative comments.

Let's get real the Coalition Government only works on behalf of the big end of town.

Dear Peter

Thanks for your article.

I wonder why you consider that someone cannot be a socialist AND an economic conservative?

We're talking Australia here, not some post war demolished country.

It's important that a Government show care for the people it governs, particularly during times of prosperity.

When you go demonising single parents and their children, so that you can justify your decision to impose economic abuse on them,particularly during times of national prosperity, that's not 'economic conservatism', that's just plain abuse.

Not every woman is a single mother. Not every single mother is on welfare. Infact, the average single mother is ONLY on welfare for two years. But we recognise a government dangerous to women who are or about to become single mothers.

Anyone in Government... and I mean anyone, would be better than the abusers that the Liberals have demonstrated themselves to be.

Your Government have only demonstrated the justification for divorce.

A few of the poster have had a go at Rudd much in the fashion of our Peter.
Not much substance and not going to change anything , fact is Australia weirys of the lies and miss use of a mandate.
And such a mandate is about to be given to Labor, I await a change in government and just maybe a new direction from the empty conservative movement in Australia.

It's mere conjecture on the part of Mr. Costello as to how Mr. Rudd will perform; however, we know how the Coalition has operated. The mining boom really has been the saving grace for the Coalition Government. It becomes quite worrying for the future when icons such as Quantas was going to be sold to foreign interests. Telstra is more interested in making profits rather than providing a service to the community.

Mr. Howard did not listen to the electorate and engaged Australia in the war in Iraq that is squandering our military resources and costing untold millions. The level of strategic analysis was of a low level; many people argued that fact prior to Australian troops being sent.

The interest campaign at the last election was a real con; when Mr. Howard was Treasurer he managed historically high interest rates. The historic fact is that interest rates were high Internationally at the time, as they had been when Labor was in power. It's quite disingenuous for the Coalition to argue about interest rates under Labor, when they also had high interest rates.

Mr. Costello quibbles about whether Mr.Rudd is a Christian Socialist or an economic conservative. Mr.Howard I seem to recall said we would never have a GST. That is, when the leader of the Coalition acts in a way that he had said he wouldn't; the Coalition can hardly try to discredit Mr. Rudd for what he says or believes. There is not any substance in discrediting Mr. Rudd for the sake of doing so. The Coalition is expressing concern about bullying in schools; yet, they are employing bully boy tactics against Mr. Rudd.

"Work Choices" was a real nasty that the Coalition snuck in at the last election; we will need to go over the plaform of the Coalition at the next election with a tooth comb to ensure no nasties are sneeked through.

Mr Costello you have had 11 years to show us what you can do. Anything you say now will not change our vote, you have a track record. If we reject your party at the next election it will be on the basis of what you have done so far. That is why the opinion polls did not move after you recent budget.