Suze, we are in trouble, but unfortunately I do lay the blame on the Rudd Gillard government, simply because they were unable to determine the difference between worthwhile spending and waste.

Furthermore, when thing started to look shaky, back in late 07, early 08, they did what I consider the most stupid thing any government could have done, that was to create uncertainty within the business community, by taking an axe to IR.

Now while I'm the first to admit that WC made life hard for a selected few, the reality is that when a country is booming, as we were, if one is unable to sucure a decent return for their labour, then there is usually a reason for that.

Considering the position we are in now, partially due to the GFC, but mostly due to labor list of failures, may I suggest that was a huge gamble to change a functioning government, and one that was hardly worth the hundreds of billions, to improve the conditions for a very selected few.

The overall result now is the the bar has been lowered, simply to accommodate the low end worker, and that's a crying shame, as productivity is the victim.

Finally, the US is about to surge again, all built on government funded debt, and no doubt we will follow their lead.

What a crazy world we live in.

Dear OTB,

No. This is not a case of pot-kettle at all.
Voters are entitled to hold politicians and
political parties accountable for what they do
or don't do. However stooping to personal insults
and attacks and using derogatory language is a
sign of ignorance and nastiness, as well as being boorish.
And this is the difference. You attack consistently in
the most inappropriate way.

Lighten up.

i hope Liberal and Labours parental scheme fails. It is disgusting that they encourage seperation of mother and child at such a young age. Mr Abbott should be ashamed of himself with this one.

Mr Abbott should be shamed of himself for lots of things.

Foxy,

You may be interested in this piece by Julian Burnside.

http://theconversation.com/julian-burnside-alienation-to-alien-nation-18290

(Compare his attitude with the majority around here:)

Tony Abbott is a genuine conservative right wing. Typically the LNP in general are always slow, methodical and careful. They are also scared of change, old fashioned, have a limited imagination when it comes to innovation, no courage, no ability to see the bigger picture. Tony has set about creating an all-male cabinet from the 50's. What he expects us to believe is that the competency level of his government is heavily weighted toward males. So by Phoney Tony s logic, woman are not equally represented when it comes to ability and talent because if they were, than the numbers would add up. So for Tony to be right there would have to be less woman generally that measure up.
Give me a break from the endless inane babble from this dim witted buffoon who stammers his nauseatingly narrow view out with such careful trepidation, slowly, methodically and carefully forming confused sentences so as not to fully expose himself as a misogynistic, power hungry, lying con man who will now howardly wind us back 40 years while he receives slaps on the back from his corporate cronies. More roads, more coal, less trees, polluted oceans, diminished coral reefs, no green energy incentive, close our borders, stop the NBN, put woman back in the kitchen, encourage successful woman to go home and have babies instead. Tony says lets hide under a rock while we amass an extra 6 billion dollars than Labor had planned. Boy oh Boy. Australians have voted in a era of nothing, of careful, methodical inertia.
Only the environment and the people of Australia will not be able to follow Tony backwards. Those who voted for him will try, the rest of us will reluctantly hide under a rock as Tony has directed until he sent away, vanquished to the past, where he belongs.

Foxy, "However stooping to personal insults and attacks and using derogatory language is a sign of ignorance and nastiness, as well as being boorish"

Says the foxy poster who wrote this, "you sound like a red-neck, ignorant, neanderthal".

Pot/kettle.

You and others sledged the incoming government before it was even sworn in by the Governor-General. How negative was that? Yet you excuse and rationalise the Gillard/Greens government's shocking demonstrated record.

It is perfectly correct, factual and in the circumstances most restrained for anyone to observe,

"Going from on the desperate stuff, personal and vicious, from the Left whingers it is going to be a very negative Opposition.

Julia Whatshername came a cropper playing the hard-ball (should that be ball crushing?) gender and class politics cards so welcomed by her peanut gallery of the Left and radical feminists.

It immediately rebounded on her causing Labor to hurriedly tip her out. It was that or lose practically every seat in the election.

Old hatreds and habits never die out with the usual Left and radical feminist dinosaurs. Continuation of Julia Whatshername's gender and class wars should see the LNP in for at least two terms and probably more".

Now that the rubbish has been put out in Canberra it is my sincere hope along with the millions who voted for a change, that all those who have been taking the generous and caring Australian public and taxpayers for a ride have their guvvy teat removed at the earliest.

Got to say though, it is a pleasure having a real man, a married man with a family leading the nation. Just as it is lovely to have Quentin Bryce as Governor-General. Male or female doesn't matter. It is the person. Leaders need to take pride in themselves and be role models, for youth especially. Part of that is showing commitment in their personal relationships too. For generations locked by technology into sedentary jobs it is good to see that such a busy person as Tony Abbott still makes time to take care of his body, and to volunteer as well!