Paul,
The Whitlam Government had be be fought with fire with fire, there simply was no alternative.

Paul,

" .... conservatives when not in government seem to think they have some god given right to 'call an election' whenever it suits them to take back power, and they call that democracy."

Well, yes. That's how democracy can work. To gauge the will of the people, and enable the people to express that will. I don't know about 'god-given', it's probably a bit more mundane than that:

It's called 'politics'. Everybody does it: Gillard seemed to think she could do it in August 2010, and look how that turned out.

Individual: Its good to know that I can rest easy in the knowledge that when the people make a 'mistake' and elect one of those 'bad non conservative governments' that the reincarnation of Pig Iron Bob Menzies in the form of the masked avenger, 'Democratic Man', will swoop down with his flaming sward and smite the evil doers. We can call that democracy in action. The people are so fortunate that they can rely upon the likes of Rupert Murdock, Allen Jones, even Piers Akerman to call down 'Democratic Man' to do the deed on their behalf.

Loudmouth,

That's a rather selective view of the facts.

That "squandered" surplus was what saved us from the worst effects of the GFC.

The fact there was a surplus is not as significant as the economic stimulus strategy that was adopted.

Targetting the stimulus at the bottom level made sure that employment and retail confidence was maintained by putting more money into the economy at the retail level and the infrastructure programme kept the construction industry (and its suppliers) in work..

Other countries had surpluses too but their strategies failed because the stimulus was insufficient, applied too late or misdirected.

Everybody in the economic world has recognised the success of our strategy.

If it was the LNP in power, their strategy would have been -

1. Cut taxes at the top and corporate levels and
2. Reduce wages to "improve productivity"

because that's all they know how to do.

That probably would have resulted in the surplus being paid out as unemployment benefits instead.

Individual: You have got me thinking. How can democracy in Australia be improved, without the danger of a non conservative government being elected. Here is the plan, let me run it by you. Instead of millions of people trudging off to their local school or scout hall every 3 years or so to vote, and sometimes get it wrong, we have a panel of three typical Australians who represent a cross section of the Australian community, The Peoples Committee. I suggest the first panel consist of Andrew Forrest, Gina Rinehart and James Packer, Loclan Murdock could be first reserve in case someone pulls a sickie on voting day. We then have an impartial bloke with the 'gift of the gab', like Allen Jones to make the case before the committee as to who should form the new government. The panel then votes (no abstentions allowed) presto, instant democratically elected government. Then after say 20 or 30 years The Peoples Committee could meet again to elect the next democratic government. Sound good to me what do you think?

Hi Paul,

I assume you are not serious about three people deciding everything every thirty years.

That does sound a bit Assad-Mubarak-Gaddafi, even a bit Soviet and/or Maoist except that they didn't give anybody the option even after thirty years.

I think I'll stick with 12 million of us going off to the church hall or school assembly hall every three years. Mundane and Midsomer it might seem, but that's how people decide in a formal democracy, and it's sounds okay to me. Even if the b@stards vote for the party I don't like.

If you can think of a better system than democracy [God, how naive I must seem to the new crop of Trots], then put it forward.