Keith Duncan, Pimlico.
Is it any wonder our terminal federal government now lacks credibility on virtually every issue?
The most recent examples are the lies regarding meeting our greenhouse gas emission targets, the effects of reducing negative gearing, and the reduction in public school funding and child care rebates. Freedom of information disclosures have proved this.
We are dealing with a government entrenched in right-wing subterfuge that started back in the dark days of John Howard’s failed government. Howard unleashed a new brand of conservatism that waged class warfare, marginalising Australian workers and minorities and benefiting the conservative-voting wealthy, thus entrenching growing economic inequality.
Driven by the mining boom, Howard and Costello embarked on a raft of superannuation and tax changes and non means-tested upper and middle- class welfare benefits, like the appalling baby bonus, skewed heavily towards the wealthy, further entrenching class prejudice and permanently undermining the tax base for years to come.
On the other hand, Howard gave Australian workers ‘Work Choices’, (actually no choices), but that proved to be a bridge to far, Howard and his government were unceremoniously dumped.
Enter Kevin Rudd’s government and within 12 months the GFC hit and world economic activity virtually stopped.
The new Rudd/Swan Government tried valiantly to keep Australia afloat but the lasting legacy of Howard and Costello’s disastrous tax changes made going into heavy deficit inevitable if the country was to survive, a problem that continues to this day.
Within five years the Abbott/ Turnbull Government has managed to almost treble the deficit, and to this day continues to lie and blame everyone else for doing it.
The Liberals solution ….’it’s all Labor’s fault”