Jerry_Atrick

Yep and the LNP continued to grow it at the same rate from 2013 to 2019.. switch looks very different to what the curve looks like since Albo came to power.. But that was my point.. Albo's government in real terms has flat lined debt - actually reduced it; yet the press are blaming him for the high debt levels caused by previous governments both LNP and ALP

Ahhh.. Blame the current bloke for the previous guy's failings. In the current value of money, here is Australia's debt curve... Adjusted for inflation of course.. So, the total debt in today's money has reduced slightly since 2022 not long after Albo had taken over. The graph steadily increases since the previous ALP government, continues during the LNP (we'll excuse the rate of increase over the 2 year COVID period).. Albo gets in and it steadily reduces, with a slight increase but still below the levels he took over. Yep, I agree.. with pollies, it's other people's money. But it clearly isn't Albo's debt - it is the previous guys.. the ones a lot of people think are the safe pair of hands with the economy because that's what the media owners want them to think. He could do his bit to reduce the debt further - property tax gas exports, reduce corporate welfare, etc. But the press don't like that.

Aren't those Christmas lights in a certain section of Amsterdam?

A lot of news seems to point to the Republicans finally realising that Chump is... a chump and the electorate have cottoned on. A lot of Republican congress people are apparently very concerned about what he will get up to over the next couple of years and how it could further erode their jobs come next election. Whilst it won't be easy, there is talk that he may well not make it for much longer.. The problem is, who will replace him?

This was my route Wednesday and Thursday (with the obligatory overnight stop at Tocumwal): It was a very pleasant drive. Back in July, it was straight up and back.. There were potholes on the Hume and the Golbourn Valley Highway.. Not a lot, but enough, and certainly big enough to cause some real problems (I did hit one.. it thankfully did no discernible damage, but it gave me a bloody decent jolt.. And I wasn't going fast - maybe 70km/h. This time there were no potholes for most of the same route to Tocumwal. In fact, when you turn onto the Newell Highway that road is in bloody good condition, and makes the NSW roads look decidedly unmaintained. The route form Tocumwal via Echuca and Bendigo was a bit differnt, but to be honest, not much worse for most of it than I recall when I lived here over 30 years ago. Quite bumpy in places and dips galore. There were clearly areas where if they weren't attnded tom potholes would form in the not too distant future. There was a town - I can't recall which - maybe Rochester or Huntly - where there were a disproportionate number of potholes and I do recall two potholes on the Murray Valley which happened to be the width of my wheelbase as I did hit them before getting to Echuca - but they weren't deep and not terribly bumpy. Of course if cars/tricks keep hitting them it won't be long before they are bumpy. You could see lots of repaired potholes - some looked very temporary. I am not sure why they attacked only the holes though - some areas of road were visibly damaged around the holes and they should have repaired the whole section. But, I guess there is a need to get the holes plugged ASAP. I came off the Calder/Tulla freeway at Bell Street to Bulleen Road then back on myself a bit to Burke Road and then onto Moorabbin airport via the South Eastern and Warragul road. I absolutely agree with this: The amount of what look like B-Doubles compared to when I last lived in Melbourne rolling through suburban roads (I don't recall any when I last lived here) is amazing. I understand the economics to the companies operating transport businesses and that use them, but it was a bit of a brain fart on many levels to increase the weight on all but very specific routes (I am sure they are not allowed down streets, but some roads didn't seem designed for them).

According to Google, at the moment, from public records, the government is currently committed to around $2bn in spend under AUKUS. Of course, this is from what information is available publicly. But, these contracts will have escape clauses just like that of the French - especially since the US and the UK are under no obligation to deliver anything.. So, yes, it is likely we will lose some as we did with cancelling the French contract.. some $3.5bn in the end.. But even if we are on the hooks for say $10bn, it is still < 3% of the total budget of the program, so I would be happy t cut that cheque to be rid of it. And yes, I still pay tax in Australia.. The last guy setting it up excuses the cost of abandoning it; it doesn't excuse the continual accrual of a white elephant of a project to Australia committing that much money to it. Remember c. $5bn is allocated to uplift US shipbuilding capacity

It will solve the fuel price crisis

I guess it depends on ow you look at things. If you are Chump, his family or his sponsors (e.g. tech bros), you have done very well indeed and there is a lot to thin he has done well.

Sitting at the Tocumwal Hotel/Motel enjoying a VB, and it absolutely bucketed down , inclusive of hail! I know it's not the best beer in the world... but this VB has no bons in it today.

The above answers are definitely some of the reason. Also, the UK debt is 96% if GDP and Australia's is around 33%. A small interest rate bump will compound UK's fiscal woes, while a small bump won't have the same marginal impact on Australia's. However, the BoE meet tomorrow and are expected to raise the rate anyway. Note, the UK and Aus inflation rate are about the same, so you can argue the UK have been kicking the can down the road. On the other hand, I am not sure in the current state of the economy, putting up interest rates is necessarily correct, either as energy inflation is probably putting the brakes on spending in other areas.

Are you sure about that.. or are you confusing the them with the Republicans? What are the lot of good thing he has done, exactly.. And what about the lot of ship stuff he has done this time around. I'd be interested in how you square the ledger.

It has been very quiet on the forums lately. Are we holding our collective breaths for the results?

I shot the sherrif

Just another grasp at straws to try and discredit renewables

I agree on industrial relations to an extent; The Fair Work Act is a minefield and extends well beyond what would normally be the employer/employee relationship. The CGT reform was needed; and I get a lot of people are going to be affected as a result. But the distortion in the property market was palpable, and now asset classes are all treated equally. Of course, real estate is not a liquid asset, and he probably could have used transitional arrangements. But that would probably have had worse political ramifications. Looking at his performance against the G20 for the period he has been in office and it's a mixed bag; Better on growth; kept peak inflation less than his peers, but inflation is stubborn (probably a facet of an importing heavy nation). Unemployment is significantly lower than his peers: Pre COVID, the LNP did slightly better: But, there were some structural challenges Albo has that they didn't: The LNP governed through ultra-low interest rates the whole time. This is very good for economic growth. And so did most of the rest of the world, which means the money globally was flowing more freely. By the time Albo got in, the interest rates were already rising globally, and the brakes were on. The LNP enjoyed a global environment of low inflation. When Albo took office, the cost of living crisis had already started. The above graph goes until 2019 (so ex COVID). For the whole time the LNP was in, there was a resources boom that contibuted very nicely to the Aussie economy. It is picking up now, but Albo's government didn't quite have that luxury.. and that was a product of mainly Chinese demand and not the Aussie government. There was no geopolitical issues of note during the LNP period, and of course, none off the fuel shocks we are having now. I want to be clear.. I think there is a lot of room for a lot of improvement. But to call him our worst PM since Whitlam is a bit of a stretch.