While many in the Howard Years got rich, many many more got as poor as Church mice. Howard created an "underclass" something we had never before known in this country. So for all of you who claim to have increased your wealth, remember it was done so at the expense of your fellow Australian family.

SHONGA

Stop living in your fantasy world

A. during Howard's year, more people got jobs
B. during Howard's year, the poor got more benefit

He did more for the unemployed and poor than Keating and Hawke ever did.

In every society, there a people who are the "Underclass". In Australia, it is now people who do not have Plasma TV, in US, it is people who do not have jobs, in Africa, it is people who has no food

There is going to be an so call "underclass" in every society, Australia has a better underclass than the rest of the world, you just did not notice it

Not too much of an unreasonable analysis, though I think it neglects key points.

If the question is in regard to the performance of the Howard Government in its entirety, you must consider the performance in the economic, social and international spheres.

This is purely an analysis of the economic spheres, arguably the most important I suppose, but even then it misses core points. I'd like to see more information on infrastructure investment and more probing in regard to how diversified the economy really is.

I say this for a few reasons - it's a tired cliche but relevant: we're riding an economic boom thanks to the resource sector.
Considering that tankers have to queue for weeks outside Mackay to wait for coal that's delivered on woeful rail infrastructure that can't keep up, I'd say we seriously need to look at this infrastructure.
Yes, I'm aware that this is a State Government responsibility. Again, conservative rhetoric dictates that those who tax the money should spend it instead of sending it to other departments, lower levels of govt etc (in contrast to the traditional Liberal party rhetoric which values State's rights). Howard did little to change this status quo.
With our economy so heavily reliant on the resource sector, I think this raises questions how prepared our economy really is. Any economy that isn't diversified is vulnerable.

I'm running out of words, so I'll conclude by saying that I think Howard's performance on economic grounds was passable, but only just. On social grounds I he failed dismally. Aside from the decline in foreign aid, he had a habit of wolf-whistling to the lowest common denominator and appealing to xenophobia at election time (Tampa being the most notable example, but there were others).

Diplomatically speaking, while he did a fine job of maintaining the relationship with the US, this was among the easier diplomatic relationships to maintain. He didn't need to be so slavish there, and it cost us in other, more challenging relationships. He did well with Japan, but failed to engage with Europe and angered many of our closer neighbours.

Australia and Australians were never better off, financially, than they were during the Coaltion's time in office.

That 'working families' are helped by Labor has been a myth ever since Keating. The brighter voters among those who went for Labor at the last election are now seeing their folly.

People who experienced Whitlam, Hawke and Keating know full well that it is a big mistake to trust Labor with with money box.

Mind you, the people who think that they are part of an 'underclass' with any government in Australia would stay poor if the streets were paved with gold. They need to take a good look at themselves before they start blaming others for their situation. Unfortunately, it is blaming others that got them into dire straits in the first place.

TurnRightThenLeft
I agree with much of what you said.

I will certainly provide much more detail of economic, social and environmental policy if possible in future articles should they be published. One can hardly address the complexity of all issues in just 1000 words.

However, purpose of article is to indicate that all Western nations are under greater pressure to meet many policy needs from Sweden to the US. On that proposition alone, the Howard govt was a pretty good performer given that many national govts will be accused by certain voters of downplaying social or environmental needs.

from the article "the Howard government was a successful performer across a number of policy issues, although its record was hardly perfect in a world increasingly made tougher by greater economic competition."

That is it in a nut shell.

"Successful performer".

No government is ever "perfect". Politicians are men and women with feet of clay, like the rest of us (although I doubt the hubris of labor allows them to acknowledge it).

The best thing Howard & Co did was

1 avoid interfering in peoples lives where interference was not needed

2 not pretend the IPCC was God Almighty.

The danger Krudd & Co are bringing down upon us it to destroy the competitiveness of Australia compared to India and China in the area of secondary processing through artificial carbon taxes, in turn destroying the job growth which the Howard policies encouraged.

Australian clean air is fine, until the trade winds bring Indian smog to this pristine land but Australians opportunities will be lost, to be consumed in the engine of that Indian smog.

Howard stood up for Australia, some might smirk and say for "traditional values"

Well, I have yet to see where Rudd stands on or for anything, other than an insatiable lust for power.

Good article Chris, may I also append to this post a web address

http://www.liberal.org.au/about/ach.php
Krudd and Co are increasingly looking like a one term aberration,

To paraphrase the insidious Keating’s crass remark “the mistake we had to have”.

Talking of recession, it must rank as a record, the speed with which the vibrant optimism of the Howards 2007 has crashed into the depressive hopelessness of Krudds 2008.

Some will suggest it is external factors like oil and sub-prime but it is more. The optimism which cultivates entreprenurialism and hope in the future is being destroyed by the politics of the swill levellers who sit in government to command us (in difference to Howard, you bet).