Enjoy it while you can Pete, cause with Mr Swan, and his mission for surplus 'at any cost' things may well back fire for them.

Of cause, labor are now saying what the rest of us predicted, that is that the prejected surplus just may not occur.

REALLY!

About time he pulled his head out of his ars.

The fear of having Abbott as a PM is similtaneously struggling with my loathing of Gillard. I suspect this is the same for other old timers who yearn for political leaders with greater intellect but with a common touch, a little bit of mongrel even, but not too much. Can we truly blame our youth for being cynical and confused?

DP,
You might note that the Essential poll has no change.

Coalition 53% Labor 47%

Now we will see next what the latest budget impact will be!

Banjo, labor have placed a noose around their own necks, or more so, Mr Swan, in that it is he who, despite the ominous signs of a slowing economy, has repeatedly said we will achieve surplus at any cost.

In one foul swoop, he has managed to insult big business, upset potential mums and dads and generally let down the voting public by slashing the likes of education and health, simply in a desperate effort to fulfill his promise of a surplus.

In fact, it's more like an obsession to him, and if it hurts the local economy, that appears to be collateral damage he is willing to cause.

The trouble is that his prediction of a surplus was based on several ducks lining up, which is simply not the case, but his continued position of total denial over the past twelve or so months is what has backed him into his corner, a corner where he now finds himself between a rock and a hard place.

If he achieves surplus, he does so by hurting hard working people, families and the general public, whereas if he fails to achieve surplus, the pain for these folk will remain, but the objective will have been missed.

It's not his fault, as he has never had to worry about his money, as he has been a Polly for as long as I can remember, and we all know just how out of touch they usually are.

Well, the time has come to see whether or not he pulls that noose tight.

Of course Rehctub your argument is based upon the false premise that the Australian economy is faltering and that is a fait accompli that Wayne Swan (whom has actually received international accolades for his handling of the Australian economy) can't do the job.

Your view is nonsense at best, if you consider the relative state of the world economy that the Swan as Treasurer has had to endure during his time at the helm. Particularly during the GFC.

The opposition cannot claim that tax has increased for business and will not change a very good move made by Swan to collect it more frequently, when in power.

And as for the baby bonus I would agree with Tony Windsor whom has described it as the worst piece of legislation ever. For mine it was also the worst ever example of pointless middle class welfare.

The sooner that such neanderthal ideological notions as increasing the population by funding it (in an over populated world) disappear the better.

Thinker2 is of course correct, not like the Hockey/Pyne/Abbott parrots here who simply repeat every ancient, lying line from their Coalition masters.

The "facts" are Australia's economy is doing VERY well indeed. Our international ratings are the BEST possible. Our debt to GDP is close to the LOWEST in the world. Yes, our economy has been managed VERY well post GFC, and that magnificent achievement is BROADLY recognised the world over.

Swan, Gillard, Rudd, and the Labor team, have steered Australia towards a MUCH brighter future, and a MUCH more economically viable future, via the MANY, MANY, MANY pieces of tough and innovative legislation they have successfully put through parliament.

Australians are now starting to recognise this more fully.

The coalition will, of course, continue to try to turn politics into a drama laden soap opera .... full of lies, misrepresentations, drama and continual personal abuse. This has been their tactic since Abbott became their Drama Queen In Chief. They will continue in this way because they have no properly costed policies. "Drama" is all they have.

That's why Labor is now steadily gaining popularity, and it's why Gillard has an approval rating of 60%. The Aussie public isn't stupid, they can see through the Coalition's lies and misrepresentations.

Gillard is the toughest and best politician Australia has seen in recent memory. The Labor government has done Australia proud .... a "fact" that's recognised the world over. Had the Coalition remained in power since the insightful Aussies booted Howard out, we would have been in deep economic depression and headed for a MUCH slower recovery and MUCH more unemployment and poverty.