Extra extra read all about it. Unions out and about telling there members about the ramifications of the Industrial Relations laws.
Govt. in blind panic, realising how wide and deep the ACTU campaign is. 'Its the Workplace stupid', is right on the money.Howard can tell people they have never had it so good. However those working know thats not true.Its the Workplace stupid and the ghost of Stanley Bruce.

These posts just show that people will hold to their dogmas no matter what the evidence shows. I mean to try and give Mr Keating and Hawke credit for our prosperity now is laughable. And to think that many consider religion as a dogma. You might not like the current Government but to deny the changes they have made has made the States rich (through GST) they have reduced unemployment by reforming the labour market and got more people into private home ownership than ever before. Hopefully if their are not enough to remember how Gough sent the country broke (public servants received 5 wage increases in a very short period of time) then at least remember the world's best treasurer Mr Keating. Why do you think Mr Rudd is keeping Mr keating a long way from himself?

Tim,

Excellent article.
the Australian economy boom is based on many factors with the main two are: Intl commodities boom and globally low interest rates.
None of these factors can be credited to the Liberals. In addition, voting labour will have no influence on global factors.

Greed and corruption have become a deeply embedded cancer in our system of government under Howard’s stewardship as Australian Prime Minister. It’s becoming difficult after a decade of the same old wedge politics and the same old blame game to see the glorious potential that Australia has to offer our people and the world.

Can we pause and reflect on the heights that we could have attained by now if our PM had a passion for building the capacity of our talented scientists and artists? Where would we be now if he had a burning desire to establish mainstream renewable energy and vigorously pursued the ideal of a cohesive Australian society?

As we contemplate the lead up to the next Federal election, is it a fair call to say that we were mislead at the last election with outrageous lies to become embroiled in a continuing civil war in the middle east, immediately after becoming implicated in Australia’s biggest ever corruption scandal. Our government stands accused of being implicated in the illegal rendering of Australians to brutal torture overseas. Budget surpluses from the mining boom have been wasted on infomercials that are tinged with propaganda and party political fundraisers at the tax-payers expense.

Enough is enough! Let’s end the corruption - out with this tyrant. Maxine McHugh, I’m counting on you.

runner says: “These posts just show that people will hold to their dogmas no matter what the evidence shows. I mean to try and give Mr Keating and Hawke credit for our prosperity now is laughable.”

No matter what the evidence shows!

9 June 2007 The Australian's Editorial:

“The Weekend Australian has for many years lavished praise on the reform legacy of the Hawke and Keating years. The period from 1983 to 1996 transformed the way Australia does business.”

Such lavish praise from a conservative newspaper. Must have had some evidence. This is their list of credits due to Hawke and Keating:
• floating the Australian dollar
• deregulating the banking sector
• winding back import tariffs
• opening the Australian economy to global competition
• driving a wave of competition at a state level
• introducing enterprise bargaining to boost productivity growth and
• introducing compulsory superannuation.

The Sydney Morning Herald, 9 May 2006: “Over the past decade Australia has been able to withstand the 1997 Asian economic downturn, the US recession of 2000 and the worst domestic drought in a century and to maintain growth of more than 3 per cent, along with declining unemployment. This could not have been achieved without the economic reform process which began with the Hawke government in March 1983 and has been continued by the Howard Government after March 1996.”

runner, even your beloved John Howard and the reviled Keating give due acknowledgement:

“During his speech to the Liberal Party Federal Council on April 13 last year [2002], the Prime Minister said that he was "prepared to give credit to the former government for a number of changes that it made". He mentioned specifically "the deregulation of the financial system and the floating of the dollar". Interviewed recently on Channel 10's Meet the Press (November 3, 2002), Paul Keating praised Peter Costello for keeping "the tone on the economy" and for moving the budget to surplus.” (The Age 11 March 2003)

“...[People will hold to their dogmas no matter what the evidence shows”. Whose dogma, runner?

Then there are the 2 million people directly affected by welfare to work "reforms" who have to take any job offer.

Are they going to vote for John Howard?