I certainly do not expect any appreciation, by many here, of the country's economic position other than what has been hand fed to the cyclopians of both sides. Myself, having realised that political parties are more interested in government than governance, and that the Cycloptic flocks will accept whatever they are fed, arranged my finances around the parties past vote seeking goodies. So now I am isolated from the welfare state and pay virtually no tax. Thank you both sides!
I have voted for Howard, Rudd, Gillard and Abbott, even was a member of the Democrats until they imploded, so can observe the microcosm here with a small degree of "superiority" when compared to the permanent (mindless?) red/blue flocks.
Now in the style of B1G but sourced from more credible sources e.g. the IMF, ABC, and Alan Kohler.!
IMF: "....growth in Australia's net debt is the third highest among the 17 nations surveyed."
" ABC Fact Check: Change in Real Expenditure', supports Mr Hockey's claim that Australia's spending rate is the highest among the 17 nations surveyed."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-01/kohler-plugging-the-revenue-gap-means-higher-taxes/5420774
Plugging the revenue gap means higher taxes
Posted Thu 1 May 2014
The deficit levy, the one that seems to have become an accepted certainty in three days of leaking while remaining coyly unconfirmed, should become a permanent tax increase.
As I wrote last year (Those income tax cuts aren't looking so good now, December 18; Income tax has to go up, December 16), Australia's tax revenue is too low for the level of government spending that's locked in, largely as a result of the ageing of the population as well as the extra spending agreed for education and disability.
Indirect taxes (GST and excise) are growing more slowly than GDP and, given its structure, increasing the GST rate is almost impossible. The rate of excise could be re-indexed but that would take too long and wouldn't be enough.
The permanent income tax cuts and increased middle-class welfare given by John Howard during the temporary mining boom were reckless and now need to be reversed by his Coalition successor. The Labor Party didn't have the courage, the competence or the economic conditions to do it, so the Coalition must clean up its own mistakes and restore the revenue.
And Tony Abbott made things worse with yet another bunch of absurd election promises: more middle-class welfare (paid parental leave) and more tax cuts (carbon tax and mining tax), on top of the unpromised and unnecessary $8.8bn payment to the Reserve Bank.
Kohler says it like it is, from both sides, which will certainly not be de rigueur fot the largely pink gang above.
Maybe he voted for Maxine McKew as well 
Ah sweet memories
