I very much doubt that the Coalition knew the exact state of the country's financial affairs, and we will not know until the Fiscal Review is completed.
But the Coalition should have been cautious in agreeing to the plethora of fiscal promises made by the previous Federal Government. But going by the barrage of people demanding more and more Government expenditure, I suppose one can't be surprised that the Coalition agreed to this vast rise in the level of public expenditure prior to the last Federal election. And I certainly don't see Tony as a fiscal 'dry'.
