The one point I agree with more than any, is that people have a spending problem

There are many things I would change.

Redraw interest for non assett purchases would be at 13%.

First home owners grant would be a loan, not a grant. 10 years interest free would be a good start. At least then the money could be used again to help others, not used to redraw upon to buy a holiday.

Another huge shift in the jobs market is the fact that we have gone from making things, to watching things.

We now have this whole level of compliance jobs, jobs that are mostly funded from the tax payer.

We also have profiteering from labour. You know, a traffic controller on $22 an hour, but charged to the government at more like $40 an hour.

Councils used to employ their own staff for this, not any more.

I met a guy once on $1600 per week. He was a contractor, hired by the local coincil to clean public BBQ,s. You're, kidding!

Finally belly, having been in business for 23 years gives me a strong bank of knowledge.

I have seen two serious downturns in this time, both if which have been while labor holds office.

Sorry, but that is fact.

butch All i can make out of that is the costs will be moved on. I presume you are talking about power generation. The power generator may pass on the costs to the power providers. The power providers will pass costs on to the consumer. There are a lot of providers out there and are all breaking each others necks to pinch customers. The consumer will choose a provider at the best cost to them. So there is no such thing as direct cost shifting. At this stage costs involved are a pie in the sky, a fantasy until the legislation is acted. As for Labor being in power during your two downturns. Labor did not implement the world crisis, nor did it implement consumer non confidence, so your finger pointing is unfounded.

Rubbish, 579.

Labor crippled small, medium and large business in the early 90's with their worst ever policy, unfair dismissal.

As for the GFC, of cause they did not cause it, but, did the GFC cause the insulation debarce, resulting in at least four avoidable deaths or the solar scheme failure, or perhaps the school halls programe, or what about fuel watch, grocery watch, or the alco pop tax mess, or perhaps the way the stimulus was wasted, or what about copenhagen, or even cash for clunkers.

No, these failed trophies, along with others were all proud achievements of this incompitent, wasteful government.

They were dumped in mass at the polls, only madam PM just would not accept defeat.

Don't believe me, call an election, I dare them!

The people will never forgive labor for the mess they have created, especially given the great shape we were in tha they inherited some four short years ago.

It's not so much a matter of wether Abbott is the right person, it's more a case of do labor deserve the right to another chance.

For me, the risks are simply to high.

Hi Rechtub,
I'm rather glad you raised the, in your words, "Insulation debacle"

If you read the analysis here,

http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollytics/2011/04/24/the-csiro-gets-hip-to-debunking-media-hysteria/

you will see that, when facts enter the debate the picture is rather different.

Actually, there was no debacle; it was a media beat up as the data clearly shows.

My point isn't to start a debate about the insulation programme, but rather to show how, when one seeks out data, one can often reach a different conclusion from what one might end up with relying solely on mainstream media nonsense.
It's yet another case of spoiling a good story with facts...
Cheers,
Anthony
http://www.observatinpoint.com.au

*You see big business can run on small margins,, but small ones can't.*

That is exactly why we need big business, Rehctub. A Woolies or
a Coles run on 3-4% margin, you claim you can't make it on 10%.
In that case the consumer is clearly better off shopping at Coles.

I buy alot of inputs for my business and I'm sick of every small
business man thinking that I should make him rich too, by charging
me a fortune. For his easy money means higher input costs for my
business.

When I was in the seafood business, I was more then happy with a
10% margin. I made up for it in volume and efficiency. By giving
customers value for money, they kept coming back, so advertising
costs were virtually zilch. I kept quality control so high that
nothing would go out the door, that I would not be happy to buy
myself as a consumer. Its amazing how consumers respond, when you
take on their perspective and give them what they want at a fair
price, it does not always have to be the cheapest price.

That business model will continue to work in the future, even in
small business

Butch You will have to come up with something more substantial to be in the hunt. Just like the media you are scare mongering, before any legislation is enacted. There are a lot of people who would take what you say as gospel, and cause unnecessary panic. Another thing with your forecast power rises, you do not have to buy dirty power, you can bye alt energy, no carbon tax there, they are all competing in the same market. Get ya facts straight before any rash forecasts are made.