For example, Peter Costello has been strangely absent from performing the task of reminding the public about the economic credentials of the Howard government. This is notable, because Mr Costello has for a long time sacrificed his own leadership aspirations to the ongoing fame of Mr Howard. There have been few more selfless than Mr Costello in their self-sacrifice to the legend of Mr Howard.

Worryingly for Mr Howard, however, Mr Costello’s policy of self-abnegation appears to be subject to amendment.

There is an intense battle being waged within coalition ranks over the future of the AWB right to veto export licences for wheat of other corporations. Ever mindful of the importance of this issue for the National Party, Mr Howard, who is as we all know a very clever politician, is inclined to support the right of an AWB veto. The role of AWB in assisting Saddam Hussein to bankroll the current Iraq insurgency is relatively unimportant to Mr Howard in comparison to his winning another term as Prime Minister.

Mr Costello, on the other hand, has been assiduous in pressing for the end of the AWB veto. His opposition has been so effective that Mr Howard has been forced to “respeak” a very equivocatory line on this vital issue of the AWB veto.

Mr Costello appears to be wielding unusual and disturbing influence within the Liberal Party. Mr Howard cannot be unaware of the tens of thousands of farmer-stock holders of AWB for whom Mr Costello’s latterday challenge to Mr Howard represents a material financial threat.

Mr Howard thus faces a rejuvenated ALP united behind Mr Rudd and a Deputy Leader with a knife and a clear view of Mr Howard’s shoulderblades.

But of course Mr Howard is a very clever politician. As he himself has said, challenges like this just spur him to work harder.

Although, I will say he is the best candidate that labor has put forward in a long, long time. He’s just green.

Apart from that he is just the scripted voice of a marketing team still driving a party that cant get a policy together and where’s their finance minister? Does anyone know who he is? One of the worlds highest rated economies and we hardly see the person they plan to have in charge of it???

I cant vote labor, never will. Only people that were trying to raise a family, or part of a family, through the Keating era will truly appreciate the pain of interest rates and just how tough it was and I see so many not taking advantage or appreciating how much better it is now. You may retort with what about the amount of mortgagee repossessions, well you need to look at the lax lending that’s taking place by fairly unscrupulous lenders and factor in the new wave of ‘mortgage liars’.

Love or hate Howard and Costello it doesn’t matter, the economic position of the country is in pretty good shape. These are tough words but if your not taking advantage of that that’s your choice because the opportunity is there.

Axiss provide a great country comparision here: Axiss – International Data Comparisons

If you want some controversy take a look here – Is Kevin Rudd the global warming swindler?

If you want to recall the joy of the Hawke/Keating era take a look at – Keatings recession

I’ll stop ranting now and go away!

Never underestimate the stupidity of the Australian public!

Although when my employer faced us with a choice between a union-represented workplace agreement and a irrevocable move towards AWAs, there were people who had been dissing the union for years scrambling to vote for the collective agreement to the tune of a 66% majority. Not that they would ever join the union of course – they just like all the flow-on benefits. So you may have a point.

All right! All right! I’ll shut up!

Businesses don’t give a rat’s arse about the election and making employment decisions. That’s as much bull as the Board of the RBA taking into account election timing when making interest rate decisions. Complete tosh!

I read the Fin Review, Razor!

You don’t remember various BCA and ACCI types banging on about holding off on investment because of “uncertainty” about a Labor government’s intentions? Keating was convinced this had happened in the lead up to the 93 election, and he was probably right. I’d also point you towards a large number of CEOs who say things like “the legislation will take its time to work its way through the system” and “we have an EBA current but we’re examining future options” blah blah.

Because the hard (for any Opposition) truth is that the great bulk of Australians have simply never had it so good. It’s just a lie to say things like “TEH BAD OLD DAYS… when incidentally productivity was higher” – labour productivity is more than double what it was when the Whitlam government was elected (and, incidentally, in teh bad old days we weren’t a quarry but a gigantic sheep station – not much of an improvement ecologically and distinctly worse economically than being a quarry).

Political and economc expediency aside, I cannot understood this nostalgia on the centre-left for the economic and social institutions of the 1950s. It’s the only thing they have in common with the Rodent.