@Yossarian said:
@hammertime said:
I'm happy the true colors of Rudd are starting to show. I used to work down on the federal budget in Canberra, and Howard was bloody good. He was always trying to find cost savings and better ways of doing things. Rudd on the other hand, is extremely egotistical and does what is good for him, not the nation.
You just need to look at the way both parties tackled the inter generational issue. Howard paid down debt, built a future fund and tried to raise birth rates (future taxpayers) through the baby bonus (which unknown to may people was the intention of the scheme). Rudd has plunged us into debt by spending on stimulus which was ill targeted. He could have easily spent in on helping the states with hospital infrastructure to reduce our future medical costs or invested in green technology. Now all that money is gone, and we have little to show for it. The staggering statistics are that we now have 1 retiree for every 9 taxpayers, in the future, that changes to 1 to 3.
The reason why he spent it on school halls is because he gets a nice plaque outside saying 'thank you labor' which we will see each time we go to vote - after all, school halls are usually where it's done!.. and the cash handouts were blatant pandering to the dumb masses. He has single handily ruined the future for Gen Y's and our kids after undoing the solid foundations Howard laid.
I really hope people see through him this election. Otherwise the kids of today do not have a bright future.
You could at least do an authorisation if you're going to do paid politicals for Howard. It's easy to pay down debt during good times - it's how economics works. Fact is he was sitting on the biggest resources boom of all time and he wasted most of it on election sweetners when he should have been spending it on infrastructure. I'm disappointed Rudd isn't spending more on big picture items but at least a school hall is better than giving eveyone a $5 a week tax cut.
Howard was a master politician but you make him out to be FDR… Do you forget the massive budget deficit he left in 1983? He was just a smart operator not an economics giant.
hahaha, not a Howard pusher. I just like leaders who aren't narrow minded. I actually voted for Rudd! He just turned out to disappoint.
A school hall is better than a tax cut? Maybe, if we needed them. I don't know if you have heard the same stories I have about schools getting a second hall built, but still have dilapidated toilet blocks. Also, this' 21st century' library option? Seriously, a 21st century library is giving the kids a Google book subscription to go with their free laptops.
Howard wasn't the finance man, the majority is attributable to Costello. Do you realize that our current treasurer holds an ARTS degree, public administration? He has no qualifications in economics what so ever.
Election sweeteners? I'm guessing you are talking tax cuts and the baby bonus? Sound economic policy to me. One increases jobs, the other produces further tax payers and helps women take time off work. Other surplus funds were used to pay down debt, cover the governments super liabilities and create the future fund.
Yep, I agree that it was easy for Costello and Howard to spend correctly during the good times. But it was also easy for Rudd to spend during a downturn too, perfect excuse to go nuts. He just should have spent it correctly. Hospital/Environment/Transport infrastructure should have been the focus. All of it can be targeted toward communities that need the stimulus too.
With the baby boomers getting closer to retirement, a fiber network (which has no business case developed), cash 'loans', school halls, pension increases and home buyers grants that push up the prices is just political pandering and down right stupid with this massive problem looming. I really think the kids of today are in for a very hard slog covering the govt debt repayments, medical costs, pensions, environmental costs etc.. some of it should have been covered for them. We are faulting on our responsibilities for short term gain.
