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.