Serious, today's non-event over a leadership, on a day of a national apology by both major parties, proves that Labor has lost the plot.

Agree or disagree?

I agree Chris Lewis.

It is disgusting this should happen on such a sad day for many involved in adoptions.

I believe that Rudd would have been running if he had the numbers though.
Just like the last leadership spill when Rudd tried to take back the top job, he wasn't supported by enough of his party members.

The fact that the majority of Labor party members still don't want Rudd back, despite how bad they are doing in the polls, tells me we are lucky he was ousted in the first place!
I admire Julia Gillard for sticking up for herself in a very messy party.

I think the only person laughing all the way to the bank is Abbott.

Chris Lewis, yesterdays antics were not a complete waste of time and effort. Crean surprised us by demonstrating how completely disorganised the ALP really is. And finally Rudd has been shown up as the yellow dog he really is. At last KRudd is finished. He is now yesterdays man. He is a political dodo who will ride off slowly into the setting sun and return to work for his wife; a happy little vegemite comfortably rolling around in his millions.

We now need to sink the final nails in the coffin of this mad bad gov't and demand an immediate election. The Australian people should not be forced to endure another six months of this appalling mob not running the country.

Geoffrey Kelley

I'm not too sure what prompted Simon Crean to ask
for a leadership spill. However it may turn out
to be the best thing for Labor.
The Party will now stand behind their Leader and
get on with doing the job they were elected to do.

Afterall, PM has done a good job
in holding together a diverse and quite different group
of votes in the Senate and House of Reps and has pursued
the business of government with some efficiency, with
many bills going through unopposed and many other passed
with narrow margins. There's still much to be done.
The coal seam gas bill passed yesterday. There's the
NDIS and Gonski to be implemented. And much more.

In that sense, her role, as head of the executive process of government has been impeccable. It's no wonder therefore that
Mr Rudd simply did not have the support that was required for
him to challenge the PM. Let us hope that a lesson has been
learned from this experience.

The PM has many characteristics to be admired. She has a
strong sense of who she is, what she stands for, many
negotiator skills, the ability to stay cool and collected
under considerable pressure, a good parliamentary performer,
and as many will testify, a warm personality up close.

Dear Chris Lewis,

What leadership spill?

Rudd walked into a room full of people and said "What's happenin' folks?"

Someone said "We're writing 'Gillard' on a piece of paper and throwing it into a hat."

Rudd said: "Sounds good to me. Can I play too?"

I thought Crean suggested otherwise.

Whatever strategy, events makes Labor look quite stupid, especially given the apology on the day.

Lexi,

You can always be relied on to spout the Labor party line. The fact is that Juliar's leadership has been one bad judgement after another, and as a result Abbott in spite of the negative campaign run by Labor is preferred over Juliar, and about 70% of Australia won't vote for labor.

The Media Law debacle shows how bad her judgement is, and the spill shows how horrified the Labor caucus is. The cluster of Labor MPs supporting the liar is shrinking and some of those standing behind her have knives of their own.

This is the worst government in decades, and the most incompetent PM and treasurer.

We have much to thank the progressive media and public broadcasters for, not to mention the odd rusted on supporters.

It is a fact of human nature that people accept the orthodoxy handed down to them whilst they are busy earning enough money to pay the mortgage, car lease, school fee’s and general living expenses. The censored superficial populism they absorb is a winner for the ALP.

The problem comes when people are given cause to question the difference between propaganda and reality. It often takes time but when people arrive at a different conclusion to the populist mantra, they turn permanently. Once they no longer accept, once they are no longer listening, nothing they hear has any impact whatsoever.

Once this point is reached and they lose faith and trust in those who have been giving them the message, their dissatisfaction and sense of being cheated becomes palpable and irreversible. Pounding the public with propaganda only works for so long; once you lose them they are lost to you forever.

Sadly for the public broadcasters, progressive media and the ALP, some 70% of Australians have reached this point. The volume and frequency can be turned up, increasing exaggeration can be employed and divisive social politics multiplied. All this does is make things very much worse as the number of swinging voters shrinks permanently.

Our government and the governments’ own spruikers have succeeded in pursuing that which is contrary to self interest. They keep doing more of what has failed them and are consigning the ALP to political oblivion as they are left with preaching only to the converted.

Well done everyone, keep up the great work.

Dear Shadow Minister,

You also can be relied upon to sprout your Party's
line. But that doesn't mean that there's anything
wrong with that.

Certainly the media regulatory bill could have
been handled in a much better way. The proposed changes
were very minor and would not have inpinged on the
"Freedom of the press," contrary to what the media would
have us believe. But it was bad timing to antagonise the
media at a time when Labor could least afford it politically.
Now instead of being able to seriously discuss the issues
of media ownership in this country - this has been
put aside. The media has won.

As for your criticisms of Labor - I expect nothing less
from you. However, what you think is of no consequence.
You afterall are not a swinging voter. (no pun intended).
We'll have to wait and see see what voters in this country
will think after a blow torch has been applied to the
Opposition's policies and costings - and what cuts will
be headed their way. Historically - election results haven't
always turned out as predicted.

Cheers.

cont'd ...

Just to jog your memory:

The PM has done a good job in holding together
a diverse and quite difficult group of votes in
the Senate and the House of Reps and has pursued
the business of government with some efficiency,
with many bills going through unopposed (and many
others passed with narrow margins). In that sense,
her role, as head of the executive process of
government has been impeccable. She has many
characteristics to be admired. She has a strong
sense of who she is, what she stands for, many
negotiator skills, the ability to stay cool and
collected under considerable pressure, a good
parliamentary performer, and as others have
indicated a warm personality up close.

What does Mr Abbott have to offer?

I think the Prime Minister has proved beyond any doubt that she possess superb leadership qualities. The fact many of those who swore perpetual and enduring loyality to her, have proven they have no backbone nor any substance at all.

In reality, she has literally carried many of these weak people and when things get tough, they start by panicking and shake with trepidation. And once more, this prodigiously robust Prime Minister of ours, again needs to takes charge, in order to bring order!

Then those weaklings ran away, away to the back benchs where they rightly belong. Simon Crean, after how he once described Kevin Rudd as being a psycho. or something? Attacks the Prime Minister, from the back! One of her most trusted, senior Labour figures, I never thought I'd ever see it? Still this amazingly strong and resilient lady survives, and through her, so does Australia.

Unless of course, Mr Abbott quietly checks with the GG to see if it's possible she'll follow another beloved GG Sir John Kerr, and get Ms Gillard dismissed? Is there no tactic unexplored, to ensure the Abbott ego is not disappointed by denying him tenue at the Lodge?

Lexi

'What does Mr Abbott have to offer? '

Give it 6 months or less (if the independants have an ounce of credibility which I doubt) and you will find out.

It takes creative spin to convert:

- a record of poor decisions;

- one third of your colleagues against you; and,

- the remaining two thirds only in favour because there is no other replacement,

into "superb leadership qualities".

It had nothing to do with the Opposition. It was the PM and senior ministers who acted out this bizarre comedy.

Julia Gillard and her ministers would not last an embarrassing five minutes in any reputable private company. It was a woeful performance. If Julia and her ministers were the head mistress and senior teachers of a school, how long would it take for there to be protests from students and parents? They are incompetent, hysterical and dreadful role models.

Abbott has to offer a great contrast, ie competent rational government, delivering what it promised, and delivering well considered and functional policies. In a word, everything that Labor has failed at.

"Thursday's sound and fury in Canberra changed only one thing. A government that was on the ropes now has the smell of death to it.
The chaos of this week, including the humiliating extinction of the media "reforms", reminds me of Labor's dark days of 1975. Not the famous dismissal itself, but the relentless collapse of good governance that went before. It recalls the farce of Gough Whitlam's energy minister Rex Connor sleeping by his office telex machine each night in the vain hope that a shadowy Pakistani spiv would come up with a loan of 4 billion dodgy petrodollars. That was a government on the edge of the abyss and so, now, is this one. The odour rises"

Dear onthebeach,

It's interesting that you claim that the Gillard
Government wouldn't last five minutes in a
private company - which infers that the Coalition
would. Let us look at the Coalition's past record.

At the so called -
"Golden Years" of Howard's government - when
the Coalition had the fortune to hold office in
good economic times - especially from 1996 to 2007
when the Howard government enjoyed the dividends
of the Hawke-Keating economic reforms and when the
world economy was enjoying a long speculative-driven
boom. Good luck perhaps, but not good management.

The Howard government neglected our surface transport -
our interstate roads, railroads and urban public
transport. It starved our tertiary education sector of
funds. It neglected investments which could help us
cope with the challenges of water shortages, climate change
and fossil fuel depletion. In short, it let fiscal
impression management displace sound economic management
and directed political attention to only one side of the
public balance sheet, the debt side, while ignoring the
asset side.

If the Howard cabinet had been the board of a publicly
listed company, the shareholders would have thrown them
out for weakening the company's asset base.

Mr Abbott has done nothing to establish his or his party's
economic credentials. He seems content to coast on the
public perception that the Coalition is more competent at
economic management than Labor. That simply is not good
enough. Especially in an election year.

All we hear from the Opposition is that they'll release their
policies "in due course," along with a growing list of
excuses to avoid scrutiny. The only thing stopping Mr Abbott
from releasing costed policies is Mr Abbott. This is probably
due to the fact that Mr Abbott's policies don't add up.
He promises more spending and lower taxes but doesn't
disclose what savings he'll make to pay for his promises.
And we all know that the only way out of this magic pudding
is to make massive cuts.

cont'd ...

cont'd ...

Not only is Mr Abbott refusing to disclose these,
he's also opposing other savings measures such as the
government reforms to the private health insurance
rebate and the Baby Bonus to make them sustainable
in the future.

Australians deserve a little more respect from the man
who wants to lead the nation. The upcoming election will
be held against a back-drop of a fast changing world.
The central challenge for political leaders is to ensure
Australia's economic resilience in this time of change.
Unfortunately the Coalition's economic credentials
simply don't measure up. Scare tactics,
and reducing complex issues to
inane slogans and negative rhetoric no longer works -
it lowers the nationald debate and shows that the
leader of the opposition does not have the character,
maturity nor integrity to maintain his current position
let alone ascend further.

Abbotphobia is one thing but defending the most incompetent and probably Australias most dishonest Government shows exactly why Labour is where it is. No doubt in NSW the Lexis and National Broadcasters were defending the Obeids and Carrs and Kennealy's to the end. Dream on.

runner,

Ask God to make you more sensitive to
your own sins. Then you shall be less inclined
to judge others so harshly.

Lexi kiddo, I can't let that lot go.

Obviously you don't want to remember the Asian "Tiger economies" melt down. All the commentators, worldwide predicted a recession, & got one, but Howard/Costello gave us wings [no red bull], & we flew over it, like a bird, when everyone else struggled.

If Howard "starved our tertiary education sector of funds" how come it became the bloated, fat, useless pig it is today? Is that all down to Rudd/Gillard? I guess it must be.

Some of those Hawke/Keating reforms are only now coming home to bite us. If we don't start protecting our industries damn soon, NSW, & Victoria will be an even worse than the rust bucket states that Kirner & Carr left them.

Thank god Howard/Costello cut the cloth according to what it had.

1/ The spending on surface transport our interstate roads, railroads and urban public transport was probably a little excessive, but not too bad. Public transport should be only supplied on the use it or lose it principle. We can't afford 58 passenger buses caring 6 people.

2/ How could do anything about water when greenies would die to stop dams. I suppose they could have destroyed inland Oz to give a few South Oz fish, dairy farmers & plonk growers all the easts water. What a great idea, promoted from that blotted higher education bunch of twits.

Thank god they left some money in the kitty, unlike Gillard who will only leave a bunch of unfunded promises. Without that money we would be much worse off than we are.

Dear Hasbeen,

I'm too tired to argue.

Dear Hasbeen,

But tired as I am I also can't let this go.

It's easy to leave money in the kitty when very
little has been done over 11 years of the Howard
administration. In the end Howard's own electorate
threw him out.

You mention the states:

The same will happen in the states.
Premiers Newman, Baillieu (now Napthine) and O'Farrell
failed to disclose their real plans prior to their elections,
keeping secret the massive jobs, education and health cuts
that were going to be made. Hence they will leave it to
Labor as they always do to fix the problems.

Today - the Libs spruik a supposedly "ready to go"
set of policies,
yet we have no idea what they are. No details have been
provided on substance, how much they'll cost or how they'll
be paid for. Their strategy for electoral success is to
make policies a policy-free zone.

You criticise the Labor government yet many bills have gone
through unopposed and many others have also passed with
narrow margins that will benefit us all.

The Libs are the party that keeps telling us that the
government doesn't work, and then they get elected and
prove it.

Hi there MISANTHROPE...

I've not seen you before herein, anyway having read you rather absurd thread where you laud the leadership of the PM and denigrate the other Labour 'front bench' as weak or frightened, is rather ridiculous in the extreme.

There's no doubt she's strong, she's tough, but that doesn't necessarily prove that she's a good leader. Nor are those two attributes the only important qualities for leadership either. Words like compassion, honesty, ethical behaviour are all vital to a good Chief.

It would apprear prima facie, you're from the left MISANTHROPE. Therefore, you'd have to agree that her predecessor Mr RUDD, lacked much of those important qualities which are required for a 'respected' boss, as evidenced by the extremely low regard in which he's held by his own caucus. Otherwise he would have absolutely galloped in, ahead of Ms Gillard.

Even the most recent 'challenge' and resultant 'spill' proved unequivocally, that Mr RUDD is definately not wanted ever, as the leader of the Labour Party. Notwithstanding how badly they're doing in the Polls.

Dear o sung wu,

I would like to quote from an excerpt of an article
written by Robert Menzies for The New York Times in
1948. It read as follows:

"I believe that politics is the most important and
responsible civil activity to which a person may
devote their character, talents, and energy.
We must in our own interest elevate politics
into statesmanship and statecraft. We must aim at a
condition of affairs in which we shall no longer reserve
the difnified name of statesman for a Churchill or a
Roosevelt, but extend it to lesser people who give
honourable and patriotic service in public affairs..."

Australian's deserve more respect from the politicians
they elect. Especially from one's who want to lead the
nation. We don't need hollowmen who reduce complex issues
to inane slogans and negative rhetoric. We don't need
politicians who seek high positions by destruction in the
absence of any policy of substance, reform agenda or
vision. We do need as Robert Menzies states politicians of
character, maturity, and integrity - who can not only
maintain their current positions but have the
qualifications and experience to ascend further. Disrespecting
the office of Prime Minister reflects badly on us all.

The person that has most thoroughly trashed the office of PM is Juliar:

"LABOR'S leadership fiasco has trashed the Prime Minister's brand, with a majority of voters saying unseemly party squabbling has left the highest office in the land badly damaged. The first opinion poll since last week's abortive coup attempt shows a huge 71 per cent condemned the ALP's in-fighting over who should be Prime Minister. With global economic turmoil swirling and Labor's promised surplus unlikely to be delivered, the result is a reflection of just how disillusioned voters are with Labor's squabbling over the leadership."

Lexi's myopic view of Labor's economic credentials are fortunately not shared by the majority of Australians or economists. The shambles of huge debts while the economy was growing coupled with a litany of broken and unfunded multi $billion promises, and outrageously bad policies have made Labor a joke.

Normally an opposition struggles to compete with a government who having power is able to control the agenda, but with Juliar in charge Abbott is only too happy to give her the limelight in which to self destruct.

Hi there LEXI...

Firstly how are you after your last bout with the medico's ? I'm not as aware as some of those good folk who contribute herein about the specifics of your procedure, but anything concerning the heart is sometimes very worrying, I just hope 'it' (the procedure) was abundantly successful, and you are now very well and feeling terrific !

From your thread were your referring to the 'wrecking tactics' of some in Labour, or that of Mr Rudd ? I realize I'm pretty dense, so I thought it best to check.

I don't like Mr Rudd nor Ms Gillard - I'm a very 'far right' conservative. That said, if there's this perception that Mr Rudd is 'wrecking' most of what the PM is trying to do, it is lamentable for sure. However, good or bad, wasn't Labour elected by the people of Australia, and by virtue of that election, Mr Rudd was legitimately elected as the Prime Minister ?

Yet, some in Labour (including these 'faceless men') determined that the electorate were wrong, and it was Ms Gillard who should be PM, because of her apparent antecedents as a good communicator ?

I can understand why Mr Rudd and his few supporters, including many within the electorate, would be very very 'dark' indeed with what was done. Moreover, HOW it was done ! The absolute humilation of Keven RUDD before the entire Democratic world ! Like him or loath him, he WAS elected Prime Minister, by the Australian people.

There's a real stench of illegitimacy about Ms Gillard that'll follow her forever. Notwithstanding her personal attributes, I'd NEVER ever trust her.

Thank you LEXI.

Dear o sung wu,

Thank You for your concern about my health.

I was told that the AF Ablation procedure was
successful - however the next six weeks are crucial.
I'm still having a high pulse rate at times, and
an irregular heart-beat, but I was told that this
is normal and will pass. Hopefully, health-wise
I shall be a new person after all this is over.

As I;ve stated in my previous posts - it would be
easy to blame the PM for the general behaviour and
direction of the party she formally leads. However
she is not solely responsible for the mess Labor
is in at present. Fixing the problems of the ALP
requires more than changed leadership. The control
by party machine men and relying on bad research to
justify egregious policies that prove the government
is tougher than the opposition would still be there
if the PM was removed or left. As John Howard stated
in his 60 Minutes interview - "there's nothing wrong
with ambition." Sure Julia Gillard wanted the job
of PM however, she can't be held responsible for
disposing her predessor. That only proves the power of
the party itself. And as we know from past records -
party leaders come and go.

It's very easy to criticise Labor at the moment.
However, things can change in politics very quickly.
John Howard lead his party to four election victories -
the equal of Bob Hawke and second only to Menzies.
However his political legacy is soured by the fact
that, when he was defeated, his party was left in
Opposition in every state and Territory as well as
nationally. Plus he is only the second Prime Minister
to lose his own seat.

As Peter Costello told us in his memoirs:

"We must deal with our problems and move forward as
a free, fair, and vibrant society. I have no doubt
we can find the solutions that suit us, provided
we do not succumb to the siren calls of demagogues,
charlatans, and ideologues."

Lexi,

One of President Truman's favorite sayings was "The buck stops here!" meaning that he assumed responsibility for everything under his control.

Considering that Juliar hand picks her cabinet, sets the policy agenda, and signs off on every policy, it is difficult to see what she is not responsible for.

For example She is directly responsible for:
The Carbon tax Lie,
The mining tax debacle,
The media Law stuff up,
etc, etc.

All of the above could have been avoided if she had exercised better judgement.

As for the knifing of Rudd, it is clear now that Juliar was not a passenger in this and had an active role. The recent disclosure that an internal poll showing that Rudd's popularity had rebounded was not revealed to the labor caucus before the knifing, is testament to the underhanded nature of the transaction.

As for the claim that things in politics can change quickly, this is true, but usually requires a game changing moment such as work choices or the carbon tax lie.

The polls show that Australians hold Juliar personally responsible for much of what has happened since June 2010, and that changing to Rudd, while not fixing Labor's policy deficit would have removed the odious leadership problem plaguing the party.

Hello there LEXI...

I certainly hope the next few weeks pass quickly for you, more to the point uneventfully, with a much regular and more stable heart rate !

I accept that Ms Gillard is not solely responsible for the mess Labour find themselves. You're right when you identify those partymen behind the scenes who are causing the trouble.

I suppose the question for Labour is what to do about it ? I liken these malevolent 'types' similar to that of a malignant cancer. Everyone knows of their existance, but just how do they completely excise 'every last one of them' ? Like cancer, you must get rid of it in it's entirety ? But how ?

Come on BELLY, where are you ol' friend, surely you must have some ideas on how to save this and your own floundering political party ?

Most would say I'm wrong. However, these 'party people' are not unlike Organised Crime figures. Hard to interdict, but you know they're there ? I don't know what the answer is for Labour?

Take it easy LEXI.

Dear Shadow Minister,

I'm not going to respond to your repeating the
untrue rhetoric of your party. I've tackled all
of those points in previous posts ad nauseum.

In politics a degree of rhetorical flourish and
a pinch of hyperbole is to be expected. But when
the whole basis of your party's campaign has been based
on continuous lies then the bar is not set very high.

Question:

Which of these untrue statements appear in Tony Abbott's
recent speeches?

1) At the heart of Labor's failure is the assumption
that bigger government and higher taxes are the answer
to every problem.

2) The government has completely failed to appreciate
the iron law of economics that no country has ever
taxed its way to prosperity.

3) With a growing economy, it is possible to
have lower taxes, better services and a stronger budget
bottom-line - as Australians discovered during the
Howard era.

4) To every issue this government's knee-jerk response
is more tax, more regulation, more vitriol.

5) All of the above.

Answer:

All of them!

According to the OECD overall taxation in Australia
increased when the Coalition took office in 1996.
Taxes were then higher throughout the entire
Howard/Costello period than at any time during the
preceding Hawke/Keating years.

Taxation as percentage of GDP reached an all time high
in 2004 at 30.4 per cent.

The tax take then dropped significantly when Labor took
office in 2007. For the entire Rudd/illard period
taxes have been lower than the lowest point during the
Howard years.

Australia has a triple A credit rating and a stable
outlook with all four major credit agencies -
Standard & Poor's, Fitch, Moody's and Dagong.

Dear Misanthrope,

Thank You for your good wishes.

The year ahead will be an interesting one and
we shall see what the voters decide. Ultimately
it's up to the voters as to who they think will
provide them with a better future. I'm not
holding my breath though because as we know
the media has a tremenduous influence and opinion
polls in the contemporary mediascape trump policies
every time.

Actually all of Abbott's statements are true.

The reason revenues as a % of GDP are down, is not because Juliar has lowered tax rates, it is because profits are lower. The 25 000 or so additional pieces of legislation, red and green tape, and IR requirements that Labor has so happily applied to businesses have pushed up costs and driven down profits.

This was of course balanced out by levels of expenditure as a % of GDP that exceeded the previous government. The gap between revenue and expenditure has left a debt, the interest payments alone (about $8bn p.a.) which would have paid for the NDIS.

Let's get some perspective on the spill. Crean was not to know that Rudd would not turn up for his own leadership battle once he knew the numbers did not look to be in his favour, thus facing another humiliating fail. How could Simon Crean possibly predict that outcome?

The leadership spill may have turned out to be a comedy of errors but perhaps a necessary one. Crean may have acted to eradicate the question of a leadership problem, given Rudd's numbers men forever in the background stirring the pot and reports of white-anting and leaking. It had to come to a head once and for all.

Maybe it was needed as some commentator put it to "lance the boil". The real issue now is for Labor to get their collective acts together and get on with governing for the people and put self-interest, party bickering and career ambitions aside. The media doesn't help in the rush to sell papers by constantly feeding the scandal and gossip mentality. Let's just get on with establishing what each party stands for, their policies and the calibre of people on their respective front benches.

Dear Pelly,

Commentators tell us that:

"Historically Julia Gillard's Prime Ministership
will be seen as an unusually active and reforming
period in Australian public policy. However her
legislative achievements have not translated,
into public understanding let alone
support. This could be due to the declining levels
of trust in most aspects of our entire political
system - includingd the media and its role in
reporting on it."

As another commentator stated - "Labor desperately
needs to become more open, transparent, and
democratic. Labor knows this, a Committee of Wise
Men, one of which was Bob Carr told it so
back in 2010..."

Hopefully internal reform will no longer be stalled.
Voters need to be able to make informed choices
prior to the next election.

Lexi,

You know that feeling you get when you know the PM is going to get turfed at the next election?

I had it with Frazer and I had it with Howard in 2007 - I've got it with Gillard (although I can't believe it's someone like Abbott waiting in the wings)

Gillard said the other day of the "appalling" mess of the so-called challenge, that it now provided Labor with "clarity".

Perhaps it's the sort of clarity one would achieve when they've stepped off the edge of a cliff.

I wonder if Labour have given up trying to pretend to be 'fiscal conservatives ' which Rudd promised when he was swept to power. Will the real Labour party standup? Debt or fiscal conservatives, union corruption or workers rights? want to discourage or pamper to people drowning themselves coming here? In bed with the Greens or hate the Greens?, for foreign workers (as in Gillards office) or against them? against woman haters but happy to be friends with Sandilands? I am sure even most Labour voters are confused. Oakshott and Windsor have shown that their hatred of Abbott has wed them to the most incompetent and probably most unprincipled Aussie Government of all time. The clock is ticking.

Dear Poirot,

I sincerely hope that you're wrong.
However it wouldn't surprise me because
the beat ups in the tabloid press are
full of misinformation and this of course
influences voters.

One example is the tabloid press misrepresentation
of Australia's modest debt.

As one economist pointed out, "Let's have a debate
on the economy but let's make sure we stick to the
facts."

"The fact is Australia's net debt is dramatically lower
than the net debt levels of every single major
advanced economy."

"Our current net debt is 10% of GDP compared to around
80% of the USA and the UK and around 35% of Canada."

"Labor made a choice to support local jobs during the
GFC, a choice many countries around the world didn't
or couldn't make. They will be paying a very high price
for many years."

Austraia's debt is so low it has the gold triple A rating.
Interest rates are low and our economy is the envy of
the industrialised world.

What Labor does need to do is take a stand against
misinformation and spread the truth. Voters need to know
the facts prior to the next election instead of listening
to the Coalition telling us that government doesn't work.
Heaven won't be able to help us if these people get
elected and prove it.

Lexi,

Until you are prepared to look at the issues the way the man in the street does, you are never going to understand the anger that is directed towards Labor, and which (unless something drastically changes) is going to see them out of power for decade)

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/julia-gillards-gift-to-australia-is-massive-and-growing-debt/story-e6freuy9-1226607195643

Juliar / Swan have racked up additional debt of nearly $2000 per working person this year alone. Your claims that 10% debt is not bad is against a Coalition that took the debt to zero. The other OECD countries spent many decades accumulating the 70% or debt that is causing so much trauma today, and as the debt increases, so do interest payments, and less money is available for infrastructure and services.

Next, we have Labor's "reform agenda" churning out 20 000 or more new regulations, with accompanying red and green tape to make running a business more costly.

Next the illegal boat people that has increased from less than 100 p.a. to about 20 000 p.a. with about 1000 dead at sea.

And don't even get started on the carbon tax lie, and the slow strangulation of small business that gets no compensation, the mining tax, the media laws etc etc.

Labor has left a legacy of debt, lies, and shoddy policies.

Dear Shadow Minister,

Historically Julia Gillard's Prime Ministership will
be seen as an unusually active and reforming period
in Australian public policy, her legislative
achievements have not translated into public understanding
let alone support because of the tabloid media and its
role in reporting on it. As a result there are declining
levels of trust in most aspects of our entire political system,
especially for young people.

You quoted Harry Truman in one of your previous posts -
"The buck stops here." However that's won't do much
good unless you invest it wisely. Harry Truman also
stated, "It's amazing what you can accomplish if you
do not care who gets the credit." That is something
that the Coalition needs to take on board. The mantra
of - "If you can't convince them, confuse them."
only works for so long.

Lexi,

I doubt that historically people will look back kindly on this government.

Abbott will be a great reformer too. He will remove an unpopular carbon tax, will clean up the budget, will stop the flood of boats etc.

Dear Shadow Minister,

How do you know what Mr Abbott will do?
Afterall he's confessed that he doesn't
always tell the "Gospel Truth." Promises
are one thing - but how will he pay for them?
It's the cuts that will have to be made
that we all should be concerned with.

Lexi,

I think the Australian public has made it perfectly clear how they react to polies that lie to them, as Gillard and Bligh found out. Abbott has made it perfectly clear that he has understood.

I really believe that Abbott will do what he has promised simply because if he fails to remove the carbon tax he will suffer a backlash. As such he has been very careful not to make too many promises.

Dear Shadow Minister,

It's one thing to make promises whilst in Opposition
but it's a totally different scene once you're in
Government.

Firstly the anger with the Carbon Tax has faded.
Just as the PM said it would. Repealing the carbon tax
will come at a cost to the budget - a big cost,
especially at a time when the incoming treasurer will
be working desperately to get the budget in balance.
It could possibly be rejected by a hostile Senate.

Don't forget that all decisions will be made in a
very different frame from what it is currently,
especially if Joe Hockey is treasurer. He's calling
for an end of the "age of entitlement." Hockey contends
that Government can no longer afford the vanity of
middle-class welfare. And he'll be looking for cuts in
that area. The carbon tax will not be on his mind.

I don't believe that the election will be a referendum on
carbon pricing. And it has proven to be not the Opposition's
best lever against the PM's credibility.

Mr Abbott just may have to re-think his conservative
political formula.

Lexi,

While Labor would have liked the carbon tax issue to have faded to nothing, the anger is still smoldering, and you only have to see the occasional polls that still come out to see that the carbon tax is still as unpopular as it was 2 years ago. Neither have people forgotten how they were lied to. The carbon tax is also eclipsed by the debacle surrounding the boats, the mining tax and a litany of other labor stuff ups.

The carbon tax will be met with a hostile senate, who I am sure will reject the legislation the first time, but the second time which will be a month or so later will test whether the greens and Labor want to hold onto their seats in a DD election, which will be a referendum on the carbon tax.

Dear Shadow Minister,

As I stated previously - carbon was not the Opposition's
best lever againstd the PM's credibility. We've all
heard the lines ad nauseum - "This toxic tax is based on
a lie." All of it in itself is a falsehood made even
more brazen given Mr Abbott's self-declared "weather-vane"
stance on the issue.

And if you thin that the PM is somehow deserving of the
tag of untrustworthiness for changing on the carbon-pricing
issue, then what of Mr Abbott telling SkyNews in 2009 that,
"If you want to put a price on carbon why not just do it
with a simple tax?:

Or is that another of the Opposition leader's - and this
is the same man who admitted on national television that
he has trouble with the "gospel truth" - inconvenient truths?
Like claiming that the cost of a lamb roast will soar to
$100, that whole towns and insutries will disappear and that
our entire economy will be laid to waste.

I've said this earlier that in politics a degree of
rhetorical flourish and a pinch of hyperbole is to be
expected. But when the whole basis of a campaign is a lie
about a lie, then the bar is not being set very high.

Enjoy your Easter break - and I shall see you on another thread.

Lexi,

I believe that you believe it. I deal with many small suppliers and subcontractors, and small retailer, and to a man I have not heard a good word about the carbon tax.

Perhaps you live in a small section of Victoria where labor is held in some regard, but certainly in NSW, QSL and WA, there will be no pity on polling day. If labor forces a DD election there will be a coalition majority in both houses, so I don't see labor dying in a ditch over the carbon tax.

From The Australian,28/03/2013,

<Labor swamped by that sinking feeling

When a senior minister was asked a few days ago to nominate any circumstances that could rescue the Gillard government from catastrophe in September, he offered up one scenario that might offer some hope.

"If the Liberal Party stages a coup and replaces Malcolm Turnbull with Tony Abbott. And that ain't gonna happen." Pretty funny, hey?>

There is no chance that random threads posted on OLO speculating change will further that vain wish. Try the Tooth Fairy.

Dear Shadow Minister,

We both believe what we believe - but you unlike me
seem to
prefer inane slogans and rhetoric to the facts.
Ah well - that's nothing I can do anything about.
You aren't alone in this. BTW - I've always lived
in big cities. Originally from Sydney, I no live in Melbourne
in an electorate that's a safe Liberal seat. Always
has been.

Dear onthebeach,

The tooth fairy would be a better choice - at least
it leaves money and doesn't make cuts.

Lexi,

Really, you have not presented any facts only your opinions. The opinion polls on the carbon tax are still strongly against it.

http://essentialvision.com.au/carbon-pricing-3

That Gillard blatantly lied when she said there would be no carbon tax, has also not been forgotten. Trying to pass it off as rhetorical flourish is delusional.

While the focus has been on Labor's self immolation, there has not been as much focus on the boats and carbon tax, but make no mistake, they have not gone away.