Wonder what Howard and Costello would be doing now if they were in ?

I was thinking the same thing when Kev fried the first half of Johnny and Petes hard earned surplass wihtin 9 odd months of office.
now the lots gone plus a defecit.
Un believable.

I'd like to think that they wouldn't be spending billions in cash hand outs.  What a crock.  What about all the massive infrastructure improvements this country needs to go forward, and remain globally competitive.  Our road networks and health systems are a mess, I'm guessing that more light rail would be needed in the cities, we need more dams, better port facilities, improved heavy rail, it goes on and on.  Such projects could give work to those who have lost their jobs, provide training opportunities for the young and actually give us something valuable at the end.  If the government wants to stimulate the country's economy, perhaps they should spend their money wisely on something we need, rather than handing out cash like a geriatric uncle and a family christmas party. 

So called stimulus packages are not free market,  Its socialism.  This economic crisis will only continue to get worse while BIG government plays there hands into the economy.

Actually the reason we had this mess in the first place is because we have never had a free market economy,  Interest rates are artificially controlled and Banks are allowed to commit fraud under the Fractional Reserve Banking system,  Why can't the free market determine Interest Rates ?  There is no reason our economy should be micro managed by the power hungry few,  It does nothing but create big busts and bubbles,   How about how banks are allowed by law to lend up 10:1 of there Initial deposits ? Remember debt from one bank is seen as a deposit in another,  Which continues the leverage even further past the initial x10

Stimulus plans will not solve any of our problems,  We need less government,  And less government spending,  So there is less burden on the country.  Consumer spending is not what grows the economy,  Its consumer SAVINGS that our economy strengthens and grows,  Because through those savings people invest and entrepreneurs arise to create jobs and productivity. I will repeat,  CONSUMING does NOT make our economy GROW !

The government can borrow as much money as they like and make us (taxpayer) repay that debt with interest till the cows come home,  But upgrading our infrastructure or schools or giving money to people who don't contribute to our productivity will not fix anything

Sure,  New roads would be cool,  But we can't afford new roads,  We have no money to be building them,  And it will not change the fact that we continue to have increased trade deficits and we continue to consume more then we produce.

Unless we let our false economy collapse and restart over and actually start producing something and STOP consuming more then we import then our currency will continue to fall along with our prosperity,  And if our government continues on this path they will turn Australia into a 3rd world broke nation.