"Interest rates up, petrol price up....even though barrels of oil are down by 20%...groceries are up, inflation is up, electricity is up, unemployment is up"

Crikey, I never realized that the country was disintigrating as we speak. What else can we throw in? I know, how about millitant trade unionists stalking the land, feasting on the flesh of babies?

Seriously Keith, what are you crapping on about? Tally up everything you don't like and blame it all on the current government - that shows a high level of one-eyed ignorance.

Much of what you're whining about began under the Howard government and as tempting as it would be to blame them for ALL of it, this would not be factual.

We endured around 8 straight interest rate rises under Howard.

The price of oil has been rising for years, and therefore also the price of petrol. We pay the global price so Rudd -like his predecessor- has little control over fuel prices (without "interfering" in the market). Did you not notice that most countries in the world have been hit by skyrocketing fuel prices. It is a global problem, not an ALP-created problem.

BTW, from a recent low of $112 a barrel, oil has just spiked back up to $122.

High oil prices are problematic for your grocery prices since most of your food is produced and transported using petroleum. It is not the only reason groceries cost more but it is a major driver. Once again, a global problem, not ALP engineered.

After a decade or so of strong global growth, the world economy is slowing which is bound to be pushing up unemployment all over the place. Yep, you guessed it - bigger than the ALP or Australia. Actually, the rise in unemployment here has been very modest.

Inflation? Well bugger me if high fuel and food doesn't feed into that, as well as ridiculously high housing prices - you do recall that that began under Howard as well don't you? (they are currently falling).

You might want to consider doing a little more research.

Kevin Rudd doesn't have a a clue about economic management.He is consumed with projecting his international image via the dubious theory of AGW.Wayne Swan is a midget in comparison to Costello in terms of the economy,both in articulation and actualisation.

This present Federal Labor lack talent,guts and the vision to make us aspire to a better life.

Perhaps they should ask Morris Iemma and Bob Carr for advice.

Yeah Fozz I whinge about liars and their lies, just like all you lefty idiots did about John Howard and his economic miracle.

I'm off sailing around the world at the end of this year as you blokes spend the next couple of years excusing and justifying Rudds's dysfunction and the collapse of the Australian economy.

Ha! now you have fun as you witness the disaster ... and make sure you think of me fulfilling of my 40 year old dream ... which btw has been enabled entirely as a result of Howard and Costello's brilliant economic management.

dovif2
"Kevin Rudd was elected on the fact that he marketed himself as mini-John Howard"
REALLY?
1. John Howard send soldiers to Iraq Kevin Rudd brought them back.
2. John Howard did signed the Kyoto protocol for environment protection Kevin Rudd signed it.
3. John Howard created the NO workchoice IRL Kevin Rudd tries to demolish it,
4. John Howard controlled from the Corporations Kevin Rudd can not ignore the Union movement
5. John Howard did not apologized to Aborigines Kevin Rudd said a sound SORRY to Aborigines.
6. John Howard ignored the working families Kevin Rudd is bringing the MATERNITY, PATERNITY AND PARENTAL LEAVE.
7. John Howard had two faces for the migrants, one for the nationalists and one for corporations, Kevin Rudd is more careful and more responsible about migrants.
8. John Howard was not very sensitive for international law, human rights etc and damaged our reputation Kevin Rudd is much more mature and responsible and until now he has created a good name worldwide.
If you call Kevin Rudd as mini-John Howard because he does not damage Australians as John Howard then I agree with you.
BUT DO NOT FORGET John Howard DID NOT ELECT AS MP!
What a humiliation! YOU KNOW THE REASON!
HE WAS THE WORST PM OF AUSTRALIA!

Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

Under Howard the national debt approximately tripled, the Current Account deficit blew out to the fourth highest in the world, interest rates reached the second highest in the developed world, and inflation at the time they left office was among the highest of any western country.

I feel we got rid of them just in time. If they had been re-elected their high-spending policies would have driven inflation and interest rates up, up, up, just as the world economy entered the most difficult patch for decades.

They would have accelerated their orgy of destruction of the the pay and conditions of workers, as the next phase of their extreme WorkNOchoices was imposed.

The Liberal Coalition would have been the completely wrong government to have in power in a time of economic uncertainty.

.... Actually come to think of it, they weren't too helpful to have during the boom either. Tens of billions in windfall, from the mining boom and unprecedented global prosperity. Practically nothing in the public domain to show for it. The wasted decade.

" We seem to have accepted that climate change was not a creation or some fiction of the Left " What Rubbish in and Rubbish out". The only one so far that has gained from this western fiction is Putin's plan at the expense of democracy. The lefts vacuous global warming fictional attempt to fill their " being and nothingness " is now being filled by Putin who clearly sees the hypocrisy in the lefts folly (It takes one to know one) and lost direction. The left have got away with feeding this education hogwash to the Australian public for so long and now will realize that influences outside their control will now set the agenda. It would be really good to see the left admit and cough up with the costs of their failed agenda. The lefts fiction only proves that their are to many with their snouts in the public trough..