"How Rudd maintains his popularity is completely beyond my comprehension."
..That and basic economics.
The debt bought us the best performing economy in the developed world. The debt will be repaid naturally as govt receipts increase through mining royalties and income tax via decreasing unemployment / company tax via higher business profits etc. Deficits are necessary during hard times. Surpluses are for the good times, except that Howard failed to invest the surpluses in building critical infrastructure in favor of buying votes and fuelling inflation via personal income tax cuts. Leadership FAIL.
This article is just typical lib spin, bit like how they USED to argue that interest rates are higher under a Labor govt. Laughable really.
