Yes, everyone should remember that some politicians do some good, and not spend all our time moaning about them. I guess I figured that Brendon Grylls would not have been able to do all he did in isolation from the Federal National party I would imagine, but it certainly made many in my city go for the National's representative for both State and Federal elections.

Onthebeach's examples were of fine gestures from some politicians that did some good.
As for Gary Lyons, he should certainly not be pursued for what he did, by media and other football identities, while he is suffering from a mental illness.

poirot, you're not a 'rug
salesman' by any chance, I mean, how many last posts do you want!

Still in denial about the mess labor left behind, or the unexploded hand grenades Julia left behind.

Perhaps Howard should have left with mass debts so Kevin 07 couldn't have went on such a waste fest.

With no money, huge debt, thousands of uninvited guests and a dysfunctional senate, I doubt anyone could have done anything to improve our situation. Bring on a DD election I say so we can at least start again.

rehtub,

Lol!...yeah, I'm working up to it.

But let's cut to the chase.

You want some figures on how the scintillating LNP govt has gone since 2013?

Here we go...

From the time of the last election:

Net debt was: $175 billion
Net debt now: $274 billion

Gross debt was: $273 billion
Gross debt now: $409 billion

Net debt to GDP was: 10%
Net debt to GDP now: 16.9%

Wages growth was: 2.6%
Wages growth now: 2.3%

Govt spending was: 24.1% of GDP
Govt spending now: 25.9% of GDP

Unemployment was: 5.6%
Unemployment now: 6.0%

And to top it all off, the Turnbull govt and its Treasurer Scott Morrison are going into an election cycle with no fiscal policy.

Great economic managers...Lol!

Historically social governments spend and
conservative governments save. The savings created
by conservative governments enables the social
governments to be generous and spend more - resulting
in debts inherited by the incoming conservative
governments. The result being that they are blamed for
the spending and the subsequent attempts at paying the
debt. This is not only true in Australia but all over
the democratic world.

Unfortunately that is the process of government.
One cuts and one spends to rectify the cuts.

"Historically social governments spend and
conservative governments save. The savings created
by conservative governments enables the social
governments to be generous and spend more - resulting
in debts inherited by the incoming conservative
governments. The result being that they are blamed for
the spending and the subsequent attempts at paying the
debt. This is not only true in Australia but all over
the democratic world."

Yes...nice line, Foxy.

Unfortunately, in Australia's recent history, that's a load of baloney.

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/hey-big-spender-howard-the-king-of-the-loose-purse-strings-20130110-2cj32.html

"Australia's most needlessly wasteful spending took place under the John Howard-led Coalition government rather than under the Whitlam, Rudd or Gillard Labor governments, an international study has found."

"It identifies only two periods of Australian "fiscal profligacy" in recent years, both during John Howard's term in office - in 2003 at the start of the mining boom and during his final years in office between 2005 and 2007."

So Costello sprayed the mining boom up against a wall - and left us with the structural problem we are tussling with now.

He left a piddling amount in the coffers, considering the position he was in - giving it a away in middle-class welfare in order to win votes.

Regarding the LNP's woeful figures above - they have been achieved in "just" two and half years - with no global financial collapse to contend with, and after viciously cutting programs by the score and cutting funding here there and everywhere.

Stop telling me fairy stories, please...

Dear Poirot,

Not sure about the "fairy stories."

However, Joe Hockey responding to the IMF Report
said the Howard Government left Labor with a
$20 billion surplus and no net debt.

"It was not John Howard and Peter Costello who
wasted billions of taxpayer dollars on dangerous
pink batts and over-priced school halls - it was the
Labor Government," he said.