Wobbles>> They build nothing in the way of infrastructure and only act on social change for electoral purposes, not out of public interest.<<

Let me remind you of what Julia said in a closed Labor corium only a few years back:
Gillard>>“I am against giving the pensioners a pay rise, they don’t vote for us anyway”<<
Gillard doesn’t seem to have the interests of the old at heart there Wobbles…the compassionate political organization you inferred.

Wobbles>> (What did Howard build during his "miracle years"? A dud railway and a bunch of flagpoles for schools. He did manage to put most of our public assets into private hands and hasn't that worked out well for the consumer?)<<

I will tell you what Howard did do sport, he paid off $96 billion of Labor Government debt and left Kev 20 Billion to play with. If Abbott gets in he will have a debt almost exactly ten times that if the current daily borrowings are $100 Million go on until they get thrown out next election.

Wobbles>> The next coalition government will do the only thing they have always done - give tax relief to the wealthy and impose further costs on the poor.<<

Have you heard about the carbon tax? It is only two weeks away. Most countries started at around $10 per ton, Gillard will start at $23. It is a great tax, nobody is spared. Gillard in one foul swoop has hit embryos, babes, children, adolescents, young adults mature adults, pensioners and your dead body when it is interned or burnt.

As you can see Wobbs, we are not going to agree. Particularly if I keep on delivering facts and you keep delivering spin.

Just a thought Wobbs. We wouldn't have a carbon tax if the Labor party could sell of the Commonwealth Bank twice. Keep well.

More marine parks Lexi, you say it's a good thing.

As if it's not hard enough to buy, and afford local seafood now, this will make it even harder.

Of cause, increasing imports of food, also increases risk of disiese, as the likes of Thiwan simp,y don't have the hygiene regulations we do.

The other concern, and one that was dodged by the environment minister in question time today, was the amount set aside for compensation.

When they closed section of the Barrier Reef, the amount considered to be 'fair compensation' was $10 million.

However, thanks largely to the efforts of a little known party, the fishing party, that figure grew to $250million.

This was largely due to the fac that the gverment of the day gave no, or little, consideration to the many 'off water' businesses that relied on the fishing and recreational industries.

It would have been nice for the minister to have answered that question today, cause god knows where the money will come from if the figure blows out up to 25 times the amount allocated.

Sonofgloin,

Yes, India's Carbon tax for example, is $6 per ton and ours is $23.

However, given their standard of living and weekly earnings I think you will find that $6 in India is comparatively far more expensive than $23 in Australia. This sort of thing seems to be overlooked by the spinmeisters.

When it comes to other facts rather than spin, Howard did pay off the Labor debt (and presided over an explosion in private debt) by selling off much more in public assets than the value of the debt and then squandering the resources boom by buying votes. He also flogged off most of our gold at bargain prices. The amount he blew on electoral bribes in his last term made his $20 billion rather like leftover loose change.

In making a deal with the Democrats over the passage of the GST (which is worse than any Carbon Tax) meant he paid out $200 million for a carbon abatement scheme rather than the $200,000 that Costello had in mind. Then there were the billions wasted on army helicopters that would never fly, noisy submarines and tanks that were too heavy to cross bridges. Even Costello lost over a billion on treasury "currency swaps".

Sounds more like incompetence to me, covered up only by a massive injection of cash from his mining boom,selling cheap LPG to China and the fact that his remains the highest taxing government in Australia's history - despite any Carbon Tax.

Great truth often lives in the one liners of past brilliant minds.
Who can not see, by briefly looking here, the truth in one?
A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing?
Then surely none at all can be worse?
As we watch the tax debate remember it is not about cash.
It is about the future of our planet, the human race.
Abbott, his dysfunctional team, have said our environment Minister must dance to the tune of the worst bunch ever to control the Liberal party.
Under what rock will the side that is wrong[ one must be] in this debate bury their words used on this issue?

rache, much of what you say is true. I am no defender of the Libs or Howard. There is no doubt that Australia as a commonwealth now carries the largest debt burden since federation and Labor delivered it to us, simple as that. If it was a Liberal government I would be as critical. What you have to understand is that I am not partisan. Sheiser is sheiser be it from the left or the right. It just so happens that the current Labor government is the sheiserist out of the lot that have governed us since federation and to defend them is ludicrous.