With elections looming Labor is trying hard to sell the message that their policies are good for Australia. However, it would appear that the problem that Labor has is that Australians have already judged Labor's policies and found their lives the worse for it.

"AUSTRALIANS are increasingly concerned they are over taxed and not receiving value for their dollar in public spending by government.

In another blow to the Gillard government's ability to sell its message, the annual Per Capita Tax Survey shows almost half of all Australians households believe they have received no compensation from the carbon tax - when around 90 per cent of households have received some sort of recompense.

The survey found the Coalition's negativity and call for "no more big new taxes" is clearly resonating with the electorate as as the majority of Australian believe the balance of tax and spending is not treating them fairly, almost 60 per cent of respondents surveyed stated that Australia was a "high-taxing, big government country".

Overall the survey shows that most Australians believe they pay too much tax, especially among the highest earners above $150,000, while support for increased spending in health, education, social security, defence and foreign aid have slumped, albeit from high levels. David Hetherington executive director of Per Capita, a progressive think tank, said Australians want to see a greater level of prudence from the government."

Shadow how could Labor ever deliver value for money?

Ever since Richardson found stupid policies could buy a few more votes than they lost, it has been all down hill.

Julia is using every penny she can get her hands on to but yet another special interest groups vote, & to hell with the good of the country. As long as the majority, or a high percent minority didn't look at politics other than on election day, they were continuing to get away with it.

Julia & Kevvy have stuffed up so badly that even that majority have noticed, & they are all saying no, Labor doesn't deliver value for money, & must be gone.

Actually they do!
Gillards plea, for solidarity from one who has not yet wiped the blood from her hands is great comedy.
Unfortunately Labors policy,s, not all but many are great.
However waiting for the bus, to run over Gillard, seems to be a hobby within the ALP believe me, no leader ever has more within the party wanting to drive the bus.

Belly, I'll bite old mate.

Give us a list of what you consider the Labor government's current good policies.

I am not having a go, I genuinely want to know what you see as good. I'd also like to hear what other contributors see as good policy coming from Julia.

Do Labor deliver value for money?

I really can't see them going against their own policy.

Dear Shadow Minister,

An interesting post, not so much for what was in it but rather what you left out.

What the original article said was;

“Objectively, this does not make sense. The tax take in Australia, measured by the tax-to-GDP ratio, has hit long-term lows in the last few years. Australia now has the fifth lowest tax burden of the 34 OECD countries, higher only than South Korea, Chile, the United States and Mexico. Recent public spending cuts, particularly in health and education, would normally be expected to lift support for greater spending.”

“However, it is perception rather than fact that drives attitudes...”

http://www.percapita.org.au/01_cms/details.asp?ID=578

So why have you put the spin on it that you did? Was it so OLO's grumpy old men could flap their gums in chorus? I can't really blame them because they are reacting to what you have fed them.

You were on pretty safe ground with both Hasbeen and Individual because they were unlikely to challenge anything that feeds their intense and quite frankly irrational hatred of Gillard, but how do you do it? You read it, you saw what it actually said yet you set about selectively quoting to promote a lie.

In fact it is really quite disgraceful. Are you a politician? The coalition may well feel they need to peddle this message as disingenuous as it is but why on earth are you conducting yourself in this manner?

It reflects more than a little poorly on you.

Shameful, really shameful.