I am also aware of the dark art of Economics. But you are, deliberately or otherwise, obfuscating economics with politics. There is no doubt that the Keating/Hawke Government introduced important economic reforms. But it is also wrong to treat the introduction of the GST as a minor reform. It was a major reform and had a significant effect on our taxation system. The reduction in Tariffs has been occurring for decades, and is not restricted to the Hawke/Keating period in Office. And, of course, there are many people, especially those whose jobs have been transferred overseas, who would not be as jubilant as you are about the ongoing reduction in tariffs.
The Howard/Costello partnership encountered numerous difficulties whilst it was in power, difficulties that would have overwhelmed the incoming, fiscally inept, Labor Government under the light weight Treasurer that was to follow. The same light weight Treasurer who is now trying to reinvent history, and hide his numerous fiscal errors, errors so gross that it may take a decade to remedy. The same Treasurer who inherited a multi billion dollar sack of goodies, and turned it into a dirty bag full of endless line of mindless Deficits.
And, at least, after being hit with an additional tax on my salary to pay for Keating's fiscal profligacy in his last term in Office, I was eventually rewarded with a reduction in my income tax, which I richly deserved. What rewards did anyone receive from the fiscally inept Federal Labor Government?
The structural Deficit was created by the previous Labor Federal Government, with its inability to restrain expenditure, when it was clearly evident that the Fiscal Crisis was well and truly over.
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