when he decided a GST was essential, Howard went to an election with it as a policy.
Hasbeen,
Yep, the promise of not putting up a GST became a necessity to pull this Nation out of the Hawke/Keating years legacy.

Dear individual,

Lol.

Howard lived off the fat of the changes to the economy which Keating brought into effect. To suggest otherwise is the rantings of a deluded fool.

Further Howard gave us the "never ever" GST after his second term not his first so you are basically saying he did it to cover his own mismanagement of the economy.

Foxy,

68 million around the world. Can we take them all, and show our compassion ? Maybe not. Can we take a select few, the most in need ? Yes, but even then, we would have to provide a range of services to facilitate their movement into Australian society and economy.

Out of the 68 million, mostly languishing in dire conditions, how many do you reckon would have applied on all the right forms and ticked every box they needed to ? Perhaps a million ? 100,000 ? Certainly more than the annual quota ?

So why should anybody, ANYBODY, get a jump in the queue ? Just pay ten thousand dollars and you're in ? Can you see, dear Foxy, how cruel that may be to those in those ghastly camps who have done all the right things and waited ? And been put back in the queue by the queue-jumpers ?

Given that so many of those waiting and waiting are African and totally destitute, there is a slight racist tinge to the blindness of those who support illegal entry of those who can pay smugglers. Of course, those people shouldn't be mistreated, they should to be paid all their expenses and taken back to Indonesia and Sri Lanka, shown how to fill out the forms just like those poor bastards in the camps have done for ten and twenty years, and told to wait their turn ?

Think, for god's sake.

Joe

Individual,

Budget Papers show that the Howard Government was
the highest taxing government in Australia's
history. In terms of government spending there
have been only five years in the four decades leading
up to 2012-13, when real government spending was
cut in real terms. None of those cuts were delivered
by a Coalition government.

We need to start telling the truth about how well
governments manage. Lets not accept "truisms"
that long ago ceased to be true. Lets actually
challenge the damaging childish myths about the
Coalition's superior economic credentials.

Dear Joe,

You protest too much, methinks.

The election has been won by the Coalition. Mr
Dutton is still in charge of our border protection.
Nothing will change.

As for Labor making any changes to their policies
on this issue? They very closely follow the Coalition's
take on things.

So, rest assured.

'Dear runner,

Of course you regularly come across as a person with few morals or redeeming qualities given what you have served up to us over the years but here is a change to claw it back a little.

What do you mean "Dodged a bullet'?

Of course Steelie many of your heroes of morality no doubt came from Venezuela. Certainly up to a year or so ago you Marxist lot were championing all the handouts. Now they can't feed themselves. Oh well nothing to see.

When the previous Govt squanders, the incoming has to take measures even if it means going back on promises. So, had Hawke/Keating managed better Howard would not have needed to introduce the GST which in fact was the economic saviour of the Nation.
I doubt very much that Labor supporters would have sufficient integrity to reject their financial gains from the GST.