The Howard Government is on the nose because it assumes money is the only motivation for people.
All of us do many things every day without money being the reason. Money is a not a motivator, it in effect, enables us to; buy food, drink, clothing and shelter.
True motivation often comes from inside us. We do things because we enjoy doing it; our work makes us feel good about ourselves. We improve productivity because we want to.

When manufacturing industry collapsed in the early 1980s, the union movement took a deliberate decision to lift profit share by foregoing wage rises, to the extent that real wages declined by 14% by 1996.
The workers lifted the profit share of the employers in order to be able to see a regeneration of our economy. In return they got the ‘social wage’via the ALP Government. This included things like Medicare, Education, Superannuation levies and the like, and it also included very substantial tax cuts, with a deal done with the union movement to ensure Australian industry recovered.
Politicians who think everything turns on money will loose the support of workers in the long run.
All of the above supports research that shows union members will fight 30% harder to gain conditions than for a pay rise. Workers will be 30% more likely to attend meetings if the agenda is about conditions rather than about money.

The “Liberals” forget the facts, when they pretend that the Industrial Arbitration Commission of this country is a mere instrument of economics. From the very beginning one hundred and three years ago, it has been an agency of something much more important and that is, industrial equity, a "fair go all round" or, as many would now describe it, human rights.

If you undermine unions, if you undermine democracy in the workplace, then you undermine democracy in the nation overall. First destroy the unions, and then you destroy democracy. That is when you can introduce your dictatorship, your secret police, your sedition laws and political detention centers.

The ALP has a completely unwarranted reputation for being the 'social welfare' party which cares about people. The reality is quite different - only need to look at the State governments.
Is Australian society so bad that we need to make it worse by voting in an ALP government and letting the union movement take over? That would really be unjust.

If I recall foreign debt in 1996 was about $200 billion, it is now more than double that. I don't think the proportions have changed that much.

Anyway there is nothing intrinsically wrong with debt. I accept that of more concern for the longer term is the capacity to service that debt. That has been manageable to date but it is at levels which even small economic changes could adversely affect.

I agree that Howard / Costello have had it easy with favourable global conditions and demographics which is feeding full(ish) employment plus they have failed to deal effectively with environmental issues. I think K-Rudd could do better.

I would have to add though - I will take liberal democratic solutions to issues everytime over Malthusian agrarian - socialist claptrap parading as viable alternative policy.

On balance - judging by the posts a "just society" would seem beyond our reach - sigh!

I am more optimistic - but I dont know that it will be Labor that will bring it about - even the most techno savvy social engineers are incapable of such a change.

All of the presuposes we are not a just society - I would contend we are - but we are just not just enough at the moment - we have blind spots - poverty, asylum seekers, aborigines for example - with the exception of indigenous affairs we dont do too badly - asylum seekers seems to be a fleeting canker borne of this government that has infected the opposition to a certain degree as well - I suspect the larger community will sort them both out in time - in fact the evidence is there already.

Juatice will come from the communty it will be demanded of the government to be implemente

Yes after nearly twelve years...and no sign of a just society with John Howard as Prime Minister,a change and a chance that Kevin Rudd will make Australia a just society,we have lost all under John Howard,and vwith some faith and hope, it may change under Kevin Rudd,not we do not need or want yet another term under this anti working family Prime Minister by name of John Howard,enough is enough,we need change for the better of all Australians

Look at the state of indigneous health under successive Labour parties in a number of States and you have your answer re Federal Labour. Neither Liberal, LAbour nor the minor parties have the capacity to bring about a just society. No one can even agree on what a just society is so this is a pointless post. Some people see the indigneous plight as the fault of the whites while some see it as as result of greedy black leaders. Some see the druggie problem as being caused by economic factors while some see it as being caused by liberal laws. Some see locking up illegal immigrants as just, some unjust. Some see David Hicks as a traitor while some see him as a hero. Justice is in the eye of the beholder.