Butch,
Total incompedence hardy describes these fools in government.

They spin and lie at will. 'Revenue down' is a lie as well. Revenue is up on last year, it is their spending that is the problem.

Like drunken sailors they throw money away.

And lie. Abanese, only a few days ago, was spruking a surplus and he is one 'in the know'.

Question: Can we survive another 12 months? Already J P Morgan has the predicted deficit at $14 Billion.

I had hoped that aiming for a surplus would curb their spending but now the brakes are off. Just watch the spending from now on and the vote buying.

I feel sorry for the Libs being saddled with this hugh mess.

Yes Banjo, it is likely the libs will win the next election, and govern in their own right, as the greens and so called independents will also cop a hammering, and a well deserved one at that.

So the lins will get in and go about the same old task as last time, stabilizing things and repaying the legacy that is labor's debt.

Only this time they won't be able to see the top of the mountain of debt, let alone get to it in a reasonable time frame.

At the end of the day, it just a pity that if and when they do balance the books (for real), enough voters will decide it's time for a change, which is really what happened in 07.

Also, for the record, I'm not opposed to not achieving surplus, it's just the lies and miss leading spin this fool of a man has thrown out there, and there is just a chance that confidence will head south, and that could be a very bad outcome, because many in business today are questioning their logic.

The cycle of political office.

1) labor gets into office by promising the people everything money wise & welfare wise, but but end up putting the country in DEBT.

2) The Liberals get into office promising to fix the debt (repay) and end up taxing or cutting services to do it.

Each in turn gets kicked out because of the debt in labors case and the massive cut backs in the liberal case.

NOTE. THIS CYCLE IS PRE - RUDD & JULIAR who wasted on welfare for lifers, foreign aid to countries that would never and have never helped us or who downright hate us. They wasted BILLIONS on ridiculous schemes that were overpriced or a con.
They tried to tax there way out with a mining tax that raised ZERO dollars but probably has employed lots of high salary bureaucrats to collect the massive ZERO dollars.

What a lot of unfounded frog // you lot are on about. It was business that convinced the treasurer to not push for a surplus.
As for the next election, i would not be that brave to predict an outcome, with the greens running at 11 % we may end up with a hung parliament.
Abbott and the libs are in trouble, over matters that will concern the public greatly. Using the judicial system to further their own agenda.
With Thomson being found guilty of nothing so far, the case is far from being conclusive.
It is all a lib set up to force an election.

Rechtub!you are aware we differ.
Not as much as I do with the apparent school kids who have joined of late.
UNDERSTANDING! not important in threads such as this.
Mathematics, voters, and facts however play a VITAL role in elections.
FYI, Australia has a half senate election not total this time.
Greens, as unhappy that makes me, can not see more than one senate seat fall.
NOW if you understand that.
You are half way to knowing.
WHY ABBOTT HAS SAID HE WILL WORK TOWARD A DOUBLE DISSOLUTION.
ASAP after conservatives gain office.
See you in another thread.

579,

Methinks an early election would not be in the Liberal's interest. It would give Rudd an opportunity to stand again. While he was the one who started the process of allowing the boats, he presented good spin to the people, with a smile on his little cherub face, Despite poor policies, that seems to be what sways their vote. Facts are completely ignored.