nulla nulla
Positive Expectancy
- Joined
- 24 September 2008
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- 3,588
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- 133
Beerwin the real argument is not labor or liberal - both are appalling. Somebody called them the "Laborials". The question really is the state of the nation and if Howards years as leader was any good..
Federal Governments allocate funds to the states as set out in constitution and also there are many ways of allocating resources via way of Federal Government initiatives ie such as Roads to recovery" or computers in schools both of which are state issues.
Howard was more interested in Liberal Party ideology and his own survival as the new Bob Menzies than the welfare of Australian citizens. Even though the states were Labor they would have accepted grants to boost up things like education, health, environment etc. But there was none.
Howards role was to try and destabilise the labour State by bringing about public disenchantment with state gov'ts by reducing funds for things that people needed such as hospitals, roads etc.
Howard's ideology was that the government should not be involved in anything and all should be left up to 'private sector'.
For me, the Howards years at the best were lost opportunities when the economy would have allowed great leap forwards in things like education, and at worst was just a cynical grab and hold of power.
Nulla Nulla, don't talk crap for God sake, Howard is almost 70 is enjoying life. Would you be looking for a job at his age?
Next thing you will be saying give Gough a job!!!!
Regardless of party politics, or whether you are a Labor or Liberal supporter, the fact of John Howard's statements is very indicative of his view of the Australian public.
He thinks we are all d*ckh#@ds.
It says more about how big his ego is than what the facts are.
He was lucky enough to be in power during the biggest economic boom in Australian history, not due to anything he, his policy or his government did.
He was lucky enough in the economic cycle that he did not experience a recession during his "reign". The economic and asset boom was due to global forces.
He did not have to cope with a one in a hundred year economic catastrophe, which required the injection of state funds - a basic principle of Keynesian economics which is what surpluses are there for.
Yet he thinks we will believe that the last two years of economic instabililty are due to the Labor Government?
He still thinks we will believe what he says because we are all morons.
After all, in 1996 he said the GST was "dead and buried" and then when elected one of his first acts was to start planning the implementation of the GST!
Then we still voted him in!!!
Is it any wonder that he still spouts this verbal diarrhoea and expects us to believe him.
History will be the judge.
P.S. I am not a Labor supporter, they are no different to him.
Gough had three disastruos years as Pm, almost wreaked the country and got the sack. Well done Gough!Yes, due to the pathetic legacy of John Howard, I expect to bo working in my 70's (if i should be fortunate to live so long).
No, imo Gough has done more than enough to be entitled to enjoy his retirement.
Gough had three disastruos years as Pm, almost wreaked the country and got the sack. Well done Gough!
You most likely will have to work untill your 70 if our fearless leader keeps raising the pension age.
I guess the latest poll tells all. The honeymoon is finaly over as more and more people wake up to Rudd's spin.
Rupert Murdoch comments Rudd is thin skined and more interested in ruling the world instead of Australia. Rudd's stimulas package was a "ME TOO" stunt to follow other countries who were in greater financial difficulties than Australia. No doubt Rudd was left a very healthy bank account and could have executed the same effect with half the money he wasted.
Howard is right either way though. Rudd has done nothing but symbolic gestures. I would rather some form of economic management, instead of the current system of "here's another handout so spend spend spend".
You're quite right about this.Trouble is Australia's infrastructure roads/health/environment/education/research and development etc went backwards during the Howard years.
It was time the unions were relieved of some of their power, but the Libs went too far.There was no real vision for a prosperous, creative intelligent country that put it's faith in it's people. Just smash the unions, dig up the resources and ship it to whoever.
I haven't noticed a deficit of tradespeople to nearly the extent that there is a deficit of health professionals. This was partly due to the Libs withdrawing some funding from the universities, but also due to the medical Colleges being unwilling to provide supervision for trainee specialists.One simple example is of Australia a cronic lack of skilled tradespeople. Howard's (and others) solution - was not to beef up the Tafe system with great bonuses to people that would train school leavers etc but to import sub-standard workers.
I don't know enough about the Murray Darling system to comment, but I'm all in favour of importing good quality food from overseas. If Australian producers can't keep up and be competitive they don't deserve the sale.Nothing was achieved to fix the immense problem of the Murray/Darling river system - Australia's food bowl. Howard's solution was to open the flood gates of cheap, poor quality food from 3rd world countries.
Absolutely valid criticism.Our Universites are in a long decline of standards and quality of graduates. Ask any Uni Professor. Howards solution was to force Uni's to import fee paying OS students in huge numbers at the expense of teaching Aussie students..
Where was the action on being a smart country when public schools/Tafe and Universities are neglected and funding reduced year after year.
So do you think it was more useful for Mr Rudd to spend much of that surplus on handouts to be spent on nothing in particular, just to provide a short term spike in the figures, when he could have instead funded some much needed genuine infrastructure? Funds that could have built more hospitals e.g. are being spent on school assembly halls that no one wants. Just talk to a few teachers and principals of the schools.Yes Julia it was a healthy surplus but one built on the decline of our great countries infrastructure.
Sadly, you are right. So it often comes down to a question of personalities, I suppose, along with a few policy decisions.I am not an ALP hack - both parties have a similiar stench of self opinionated hypocracy.
Well overdue to diminish the power of the unions.And of course his persistant efforts in undermine and erradicate the collective bargaining power of workers through their right to join unions.
What were his efforts to dismantle medicare specifically?And let us not forget his efforts to dismantle medicare.
Agree, especially about the symbolic gestures, e.g. the Apology, Kyoto etc.Howard is right either way though. Rudd has done nothing but symbolic gestures. I would rather some form of economic management, instead of the current system of "here's another handout so spend spend spend".
He thinks we are all d*ckh#@ds.
Mr Howard has been remarkably quiet since leaving, in contrast to some other ex-Prime Ministers.
Julia I think that you have your blinkers and earmuffs on!We all have selective hearing
Just one example-after Downer resigned he had his input ino who he preferred as the candidate to replace him in Mayo.The media have been kind to John Howard.His whole life has been politics and he is unable to stop now.
If the power hungry little thug had won the election, he'd still be working, wouldn't he ??
As long as the party wanted him ,off course..
You're think about Bush.
As with Howard, you should of said He should practice his cricket bowling instead
No, someone threw a shoe at Howard just like they did to Bush
And of course his persistant efforts in undermine and erradicate the collective bargaining power of workers through their right to join unions.
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