australia faces a decade of debt, page-57

"And from that figure of $16B, how much was because Whitlam had massively increased Government spending leaving a 'timebomb' for the next Government?"

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Hmm, it seems it's always a one-way street with you guys.

Howard as Treasurer had no power stopping that structural deficit/time bomb passed on Whitlam (remember Whitlam produced 2 surpluses out of three, and no debt.

So, the structural deficit (i.e. expenditure based on unrealistic revenue projections) handed over by Costello, was not that also a timebomb similar to Whitlam's?

Should Swan, in defending himself, plead the Howard/Fraser defense? I got handed to hospital passes - 1. The GFC and 2. A structural deficit.