Had to split it, I am too verbose.

o sung wu;
You said;the current government took the austere economic measures they did,

You have touched the big argument with economists.
Why is it that neither austerity or quantative easing are working ?

These are the two big tools they have always been taught are the way
to handle poor economic conditions.
Likewise most politicians have lernt that "truth" at the knees of
their Treasury Dept officials.

We may not have been in the current state if the previous government
had read the ABIRE report 117 and taken it to heart instead of
suppressing it from publication.
The report leaked out through a La Monde reporter in Paris.
Similar reports have also been ignored, eg NRMA part 1 & 2.

That they suppressed 117 is an indication that they know what the
problem is but either they believe their pet economist's opinion can
fix the problem or they just do not know what to do.

The economic truths were learnt and propagated at a time of plenty
of cheap oil and coal.
That is history, fuels are now very much more expensive and are
reducing growth by burning up the excess GDP.
Australia spends over $35billion on fuel. But we are now paying a
refinery charge to others and then an extra shipping charge back to
our terminals. That is an NBN every year.

Sorry but we got an opertunity to make up lost time when the US
developed their tight oil fields but it was only ten years and that
door is starting to close.
We should now be planning for a post oil economy and perhaps build,
while we still have the industrial resources, enough
generating capacity to electrify our total transport regime.
Australia is out of oil now and we cannot rely on others to give us
some of their oil when they will be short, even though they are not
as badly off as us.

o sung wu,

"The reason the current government took the austere economic measures they did, was ostensibly because of the urgency of curbing the burgeoning debt levels. Therefore any divergence to what was initially promised, prior to the last election, is utterly justified ! "

Sorry to say that that falls down immediately upon the recongnition that the LNP were fully cognizant of the fiscal state of play via the Costello instituted PEFO in the run-up to the election - that was delivered by Teasury.

And still they maintained that nothing was going to be cut - that everything would be the same, save for the carbon tax and the "Boats"

So they lied the behinds off in almost every area that they campaigned on...only to unmask their mendacious and sly tactics as soon as they achieved govt....in record time, actually, they divested themselves of all pretence of honour - and since then, it's been one foul policy and limp slogan after another.

It's almost as if they enjoy rubbing salt into our collective wound.

(And that they appear devoid of any intellectual prowess to boot, makes it a whole lot worse)

Metadata anyone?

Hi there BAZZ...

Thank you for your input, as always well considered. You're obviously across many of the economic ills and corrective measures we should've undertaken previously, as well as what actions we should employ for our future. And you're probably quite right with your assessment.

Also POIROT and FOXY are quite correct when they meticulously examine many of the LNP's broken promises hitherto. Though SUSEONLINE embraces a different tangent altogether, describing our nation as being the envy of many, while reasoning why so many wish to come and live here ? And my old mate HASBEEN, ever the sanguine conservative, always spreading about buckets of pragmatic common sense, while attempting to engender some positive light on our Nation's future.

While DIVERGENCE, amongst articulating his/her own arithmetical computations, actually embraced one of my own personal aspirations. The proposed existence of appropriate legal machinery, permitting police to lay criminal charges against any politician who deliberately or knowingly mislead, lie, or engage in conduct of a kind adjudged to be deceptive. Upon conviction, they forfeit all benefits arising out of their political career together with imprisonment. Unfortunately, these are but 'pipe dreams' ?

The crop of politicians we currently have in Canberra today, are generally bereft of strong character, infinite compassion, immense strength, 'steel' in their convictions, just men and women and, who are morally upright, and free of factional control. These men and women, should aspire to be in parliament for the sole benefit of our Nation and the citizens of our Nation, alone. Moreover they must possess the personal courage of being able to say and do what must be done, notwithstanding the consequence !

In conclusion, I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever, the third (3rd) World War, will be fought between the West and the Nations of Islam. Our world's fuse is burning outwardly, from Islamic Africa and the Middle East.

No Piorot, both sides have to break promises left & right, no political
pun intended.
They, and I include all of parliament, are struggling to keep control.
The longer they stand back and try to keep an air of calm the worse it gets.

o sung wu;
Well first I am no economist, but then the last thing we need are economists.

Your last comment is the saddest of all.
I think people are starting to realise that we, the "west" are at war.
Mind you a little bit of history does tell us that the war has been
on for about 1200 years. The 400 years of Islamic occupation of Spain
and the final battle at the gates of Vienna say it all.
The Islamists portray the crusades as an invasion, but it wasn't it
was a military campaign to eject the moslem invaders from that area
now known as Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon.
Before the invasion the area was Christine, Jewish and I have
forgotten the names of the other religions. Some are still there,
the Samaritans are one of them.
If this IS mob gets too big for their boots and look like invading
Israel I think they will be forced to bring out their checkmate piece.

I think the only hope we have is that another GFC might make everyone
step back from the brink.

Good evening to you POIROT...

Thank you for your several contributions to this topic, but something I did want to ask of you ? Why is it that you find it so necessary to ravage and plunder the reputation of the LNP with so much venom and malevolence ?

It's quite true that I'll not disguise my absolute enmity toward politicians in their entirety. But on the other hand, I don't feel I allow my personal aversion for them, to be so thoroughly inexhaustible. It would seem you can't permit an opportunity to pass, without embarking upon a virulent assault on everything they do ? Ferociously berating and haranguing them so indefatigable, so comprehensively ?

Despite the obvious, why is it that you do harbour so much acrimony and antipathy towards this pretty ordinary, lacklustre political party ? Really POIROT, Labor isn't all that much better, is it ?

Again, thank you for your contribution.

o sung wu,

That is a good question.

But, really, I'm surprised that you feel the need to ask it.

I have never seen the likes of a party that felt the need to dupe the electorate "wholesale"...I mean just about everything they stood for was a lie.

Are you telling me that the policy direction they have unloaded since the election was "in any way, shape or form" hinted at before the election?

From education "unity tickets", to white-anting Medicare, to cutting subsidies to the states affecting pensions, education and health...well the list goes on....(and that's only a microcosm of their nasty "surprises" - all of which are designed to eat into the healthy social fabric of our country)

Look mate, give me a reasonable LNP govt and I won't complain (much)...

But please take this rabid far-right wing bunch of Tea Partiers of dubious intelligence and integrity and flush them away before they trash the LNP brand completely.

(I hope that explains it:)