Sneekeepete: I'm actually a girl *grin*.
Arjay: the Keating years were easy compared to hard times now. Really. No exaggeration. They were short-lived too, a couple of bad years where things were tight for everyone. It recovered quickly. I did OK in unionised white-collar employment.

My brother lost heaps in the stock-market crash. Had to sell his yacht, north sydney apartment, beemer and move into his investment house, buy a second-hand holden, and start mowing his own lawns. My heart bled *chuckle*. But he recovered within a few years too, and before the 1996 election.

As for wall-to-wall Labor, I wish some of you younguns would do your homework. Since before WW2, 40-50% of all state Budgets have been supplemented by C'wlth, General Purpose Payments, and Special Purpose Payments. Overall, the Howard govt has cut these payments to states by about 2% of GDP. Thats quite a lot, especially if you assume the economy has been going gangbusters. They have no choice but to raise their own taxes, cut services, whatever, to make up the shortfall. Thats why local government councils haven't got 2 cents to maintain roads and families of five die. The Coalition has starved the states into submission. I think its a credit to the states that they have been able to maintain as much public services as they have.

I first became a Labor voter during my Uni days when I first met young Liberals in campus bars watching Midnight Oil when they were a local Sydney pub band with a 50c cover charge. You've come a long way Peter!

A clash of values that went beyond capitalist free-market economies. More recenty the hatred of so many Aussies re Tampa (Its a worry, when ex-Liberal PM Fraser finds it too immoral for his taste) race riots on Cronulla beach, thugs wrapped in the flag, (our next generation of ANZACs?) and blatant racism towards Indigenous people, thats positive "Australian values"? Call me naive, or old-fashioned, but no thanks.

At about this time Sunday morning of next weekend Conservative Australia will be hurt.
Yet if in that pain they can understand it was self inflicted and a desperate need exists to understand the reasons for it, not blame voters a rebuilding can begin.
Why every state? some ruled by less than good governments, some clearly selected as the best of 2 unlovable teams?
NO! do not focus on state Labors woes, face the fact conservatives stood and failed to win.
That it has from 3 months ago been John Howard who played the me too game, any one not stunned by his climate change turn around?
From the bottom of the very deep hole Howard dug for you, his seeming intent to stop young talent climbing the Liberal ladder and so many more crimes against his battlers and his party cry should come.
A new way, not riding on the back of exports, but planning for government,, one day.
No easy task Rudd will not waste his chance not one government bar a council in Australia?
NO and the blame is conservatives lost in Howard's home made hole not Australian voters.
You would have better luck selling ham sandwich's to vegetarians than Howard's lies.

Funny, History Buff, I'll be voting for the ALP because whoever takes over from Costello as treasurer next term won't be able to manage a shopping list.

(Fortunately, the team that manages most of the money are quite independent from which actual government is in power, so honestly, it doesn't matter much either way).

I have been listening to the Promises both "L'" have been making.Whoever gets a seat, be they in the Cabinet or in the Backbench They will still be paid. The looser will have to go back to his/her regular job or find a new one if their ambitions reached too far for the reality check, they lost the seat they had or failed to get the highest voter.

As for the best at the job, each decade has it's own unique problems and challengers. I am not happy with how Ms Bligh is running Queensland when she over rules a decision of the courts and lets "King Coal," override the Environment Ruling here in the Bowen Basin for Xtrata Coal to go ahead with development, see www.qccqld.org.au/xstrata_appeal.htm

History Buff what is your special area of expertise, Lord of the Rings? It really isn't Australian history. It isn't even economic history either.

Dear John please find our account included we expect payment by next Saturday night we tender this account on behalf of
Australian voters.
workchoices 1% of the vote.
Children overboard 1% of the vote
AWB scandal 1%
Exporting Australian citizens to the Philippines 1% of the vote.
Loss of parliamentary accountability 1% of the vote
Your extremely late conversion to climate change 1% of the vote
Lies real or perceived from you and your Cabernet 1% of the vote
Taking your battlers for granted 1% of total vote
Old mate you will note our prices are the discount ones and some items have been left of the bill.
It is in the spirit of the Aussie fair go mate that we have done so, after all with great help from your self we are about to see our account paid in full.
Regards