Dear RobP,

As a poster stated on the 'new matilda,'
website that I cited earlier:

"...Costellos'debt truck in 1996 was about foreign
debt which stood at $192 billion, it became $650
billion in the next few years..."

"Debt to disposable income in 1996 was 69% of GDP,
it was 160% by the time the Liberals left and has
only fallen slightly to 155% since. We are and have
been swimming in debt for a decade and Costello
didn't even notice..."

Ben Eltham confirms in his 'new matilda,' article,
"Costello's business and income tax reforms
also left an inequitable legacy.
Under his watch, capital was taxed far more lightly than
labour, and the rich gained disproportionate benefits
in comparison to the poor. To take just one example,
his decision to give a 50 per cent discount on capital
gains tax of investments is an illuminating contrast
to the punitive marginal tax rates faced by low-income
earners trying to combine government benefits with
part-time jobs..."

As Peter van Onselen pointed out, for the Liberals,
it's now, "Turnbull or bust!"

*What hard stuff did he do that made a difference for the ordinary Joe living in suburbia?*

RobP, economies don't just happen, what treasurers do matters to
all of us. Small business thrived during his innings. Govt paid no
interest on debt, everyone benefitted. All Govt has to do is enable
people to help themselves. They are not your nanny. Fact is that
Australians did better then ever before.

Wether it was hard for him or easy, simply does not matter. What
was easy for Costello, might be extremely difficult for Swan,
for they are not in the same league.

Sure Swan is listening, he needs all the advice that he can get lol.

Now if Costello has been as dumb as Bush, when it comes to regulation
of banks, you might appreciate how valuable it was to have a good
treasurer, for our banks would be a disaster like theirs. As it
happens, our banks have sailed through all this, you just take that
for granted.

Ludwig, if you worked in the building industry, you would want a job.
You would vote for whoever created the economic conditions to give
you that job, as a brickie, carpenter, you name it. Votes count
on election day. Enough people work in the building industry, to
swing the elections. That is the bottom line that you are dealing with and yes, its all short term.

Foxy, you still don't get it. Increased Australian debt was not
Govt debt, but people spending more then they earn. Costello warned
the public about that, but of course Govts are not nannies, people
have to learn the hard way. If Govt overspends, then I am forced
through taxation to pay interest and pay off that debt, as we will
now have to do, after those cash splashes. If you max out on your
credit card, that is your choice. Don't blame Govt for your own
foolishness.

Yabby,

"Wether it was hard for him or easy, simply does not matter."

It does matter if your aim is to help the ordinary person in society. At the end of the day, it is only when they are enabled that things will improve. As a libertarian or whatever you are, you probably don't believe this. This is where we fundamentally differ: I believe governments are best when they are helping those that can't compete in an open economy, while you think all that government should do is get out of the way of those that can compete. All I can say to that is there are always two halves to any debate.

"As it happens, our banks have sailed through all this, you just take that for granted."

There you go again. I am aware that Costello was smart and I've never said otherwise. But does he really deserve the credit, or our country collectively for the good governance of banks here. I suspect the latter outweighs the former.

So RobP, it seems that you want a nanny in your life. In that case
you should maybe have married Foxy :)

I remind you of the saying " give a man a fish and you feed him
for a day, teach a man to fish and he will spend his days in his
boat, drinking beer with his mates"

Fact is RobP, the best person to help people is themselves, if you
give them the opportunity. Education, a healthy economy, credit to
start businesses, less Govt red tape, etc.

The Govt does not need to hold your hand, it needs to create the
environment for you to help yourself. The nanny state hasn't worked
anywhere, unless you think that public servants know better then
you do, what you need in life.

But clearly what you seek in a politician is a good actor. One who
pretends that he cares about you, holds your hand, makes you feel
better. A crawler who pretends to empathise. Seemingly you enjoy
being a sucker.

Nobody can help you, as you can help yourself RobP. If you have yet
not learnt that at your age, its never too late.

*But does he really deserve the credit, or our country collectively for the good governance of banks here. *

Well if you check out what the informed business commenators like
Alan Kohler and Robert Gottliebson have to say, yup, they give him
the credit for it

Yabby,

There you go verballing me again. Nothing exceeds like your excess. I never said anything about getting the Government to do everything for people. I used the word, "help" as in they should help out. That means doing things like coming up with reforms that take the unnecessary bumps out of doing things for ordinary people that flatten the playing a field a bit so they have a chance to partake in the economy without getting smashed by it.

But you wouldn't understand that would you? Piss off you patronising tosser!

A very American outlook you have there Yabby, and like them, you ignore one basic fact. Not everyone is born equal, in intellect, or wealth, or opportunity.
Costello and his banker mates forcing people to work for minimal wages, and penalise them if they earn extra, hit them with fees and charges at every turn, makes it extremely difficult for the majority to achieve anything, even if they mange to get a decent education, which Howard and co’ made more difficult also.
To use your fishing analogy, they didn’t give him a fish, they sold him it’s innards, and then sold him a net, at an incredibly inflated price, then charged him for the use of it, and took the best third of his catch, and denied him the right to a boat, unless he bought it on the same terms as the net, from them, get the picture? Mates? Beer? Not on his watch!
It’s not wanting a nanny to expect the elected government to do the right thing by ALL the citizens, not just the wealthy few.
“User pays” is just another way of saying..”if you have money, you can have anything, if you don’t, you can kiss my ..are you listening, serf?”