France celebrates our Celtic cultureFrance celebrates our Celtic culture July 26, 2006 Brittany is hosting a giant Australian-themed party, writes Bruce Elder. WHEN you think of Celtic culture, what comes to...
On Thu, 3 Aug 2006 09:32:25 +1000, "D Parker"
The Commonwealth has been peeing it up the wall since 2001.
There has really been 2 Howard governments.The 1996-2000 one which was characterised by fiscal prudence (even if shortsighted in places like education funding), coherent economic programs and effecient government.Then there has been the government since 2001 characterised by blatent porkbarreling, taking the resources boom dividends and peeing them straight up the wall on tax-welfare churn to buy marginal seats, and basically spending money like a drunken sailor on completely unproductive activities and programs.
Meanwhile, real issues have been developing in the economy like capacity contraints in everything from infrastructure to the labour market and have been completely neglected.Productivity growth is poor to poohouse, especially in the sectors where it really matters, which is why we have some of the highest interest rates in the western world.If the Commonwealth had focused on that instead of middle clbutt suburban welfare queens in the marginals and low income breeding programs for buttorted dross, the country would be on a far more sustainable economic footing, not reliant on a resources boom and the best terms of trade for 30 years.
