Reading 'March of the Patriots' now - Kelly is unassailably the best political journalist in the country. one of the things he touches on is the common ground between Lib/labor over the last 20yrs: globalised economics has forced a consensus on certain issues - Howard cheered in the Labor reforms (reforms he couldn't get up himself under Fraser).
The reform needs to continue, global competition demands it. I think Rudd knows this, the investment in human capital and infrastructure isn't a gimmick, it's the way forward.
