Amazing.

There are people who still believe that politicians are honest, and that they don't "create a narrative" that belies their true intentions at every opportunity.

Sorry, but it is part of the job description that they lie. If they told the truth, they wouldn't get elected.

The only way out of this is to turn the pre-election manifesto from being the tissue of golden-age promises that we are fed today, into a factual document that states - nay, commits to - an action plan that they are legally required to follow.

As Ross Gittins pointed out on Monday:

"The supposed sanctity of election promises is a recipe for bad government. No one who cares about good policy - as opposed to seeing their side get back to power - would think it smart to hold politicians to promises they should never have made, or which have been overtaken by events. Much better to do something damaging to the economy or unfair to particular classes of people than to break a promise? Hardly. The sensible answer isn't to insist on promises being kept come hell or high water, it's to insist politicians stop making promises they aren't certain they can keep."

http://www.rossgittins.com/2014/05/labor-sells-its-soul-to-fight-deficit.html

The only way to do that will be for politicians to only make promises they can keep.

And to make those promises, those commitments made to us in order to secure our vote, legally binding on them.

Pericles, it's so nice of you to offer such strong support for Julia Glllard in that way. Thanks. I didn't realise you were such a big Julia fan.

Pre the Election Tony Abbott made a lot of promises that he had no intention of keeping he also appeared to have no real policies ! Within months of coming to power he has broken every promise he made to the Australian electorate and has put forward policies that would have destroyed any chance of him gaining power in the last election ! His Government believes that the Australian taxpayer no longer has the right to expect any entitlements from government ? Yet they feel entitled to dip into your wallet and pay packet as much as they want ! They say the age of entitlement is over, if that is so why are we paying taxes to the government if we are to expect nothing from them ? The Budget was a reflection of what this Government is really about, share the pain ? taxpayers on $200,000 a year are being expected to hand over just $4oo a year for there part of the pain and Politicians are going to feel there suffering by a pay freeze for twelve months meanwhile there are thousands of people and families on middle to low incomes who are going to loose around the hundred dollar mark a week ! Who is really the ones suffering ? This was a pure Liberal formulated budget to the extreme, it clearly shows the difference between the major parties it favors the wealthy and big business well above the common working people ! Want to know the difference between liberal AND Labor JUST READ THIS ENTIRE BUDGET IT STANDS OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB ! Because of all the deceit this government fed the voting public before the election, I consider their win null and void and that a double dissolution of Parliament should take place as soon as possible !

I totally disapprove of the present federal ministers' salaries & can not describe the situation a s anything but criminally immoral. But, if we are incensed then we must also be serious about whom we blame for this. It wasn't the Coalition who put the salaries up by over $190.000,00 per year for the PM, it was the ALP government who did that although I can not recall any outcries from any of the other political parties & veto it.
So, those who rightfully denounce Abbott's pay should also have the integrity to name Rudd/Gillard in the same breath.
Broken promises ? what has thus far turned out to be a broken promise ? All these proposals are nothing more the plans for the future, not right now. So, hold your horses at this stage.
If you really want to waffle on about broken promises then ask the ALP ministry what happened to their promise of providing an open, transparent & responsible Government ?
Well ?

There is nothing you rightards can say that changes the fact that tony abbott IS A LIAR.
A much much bigger liar than gillard ever was.
One (supposed)lie up against the dozens broken by abbott.

All your (and rabbott and hokeys) weasel words and slimy justifications cant change the fact that he is a LIAR!
He went to the election knowing that "no new taxes, no increase to taxes, no cuts to health, education, the ABC" were all lies and he never had any intention of fulfilling his promises.

After three years of hearing him and all of you here call her juliar I am utterly enjoying this chance to rub your noses in the stinking filth of this cruel and heartless budget of lies. Constantly will I remind you of the hypocrisy and perfidy that is the LIEberal party of 2014. Just like you lot and abbott did I will scream LIAR until this disgraceful phony deceiver is removed from office.

ELECTION NOW!

Mikk and trapdiocan,

Be careful what you wish for, because what exactly makes you think that Shorten, Bowen and Co, given half a chance, wouldn't take us all into such a black fiscal hole that your grandchildren's grandchildren won't be cursing you for wishing such a mortgage on them, a mortgage that would ultimately have decimated future education, healthcare, industrial development, jobs, opportunity and prosperity - all in the name of an imagined re-balancing of the inequity of allowing business to invest in the economy for the benefit of all Australians, battler, middle-class, worker, boss and entrepreneur.

The historical proof is there, of 6 years of wishlists which have left a gaping hole below the waterline of vessel Oz.
Now the shipwrights have moved in to repair the damage, asking that the biggest drag on the anchor pitch-in and do some of the baling - to give the engineers and wheelwrights the chance to re-engage the engines.

Rudd and Gillard abandoned the 'dreamliner', before it fell foul of the shoals, leaving their motley crew of also-ran wannabees trying to steer by the same unreliable charts and chanting the same mutinous ditties.
I wouldn't trust these 'motleys' to service my car, let alone run the country.

Keep up the harping, and Labor will block everything that needs to be done to restore this country to future prosperity and opportunity, and it will serve you right - only you'll end up taking all of us with you, straight down the drain.