We're halfway through my list of reasons to vote Howard out now.
Economy
42. Foreign debt has doubled under Costello.
43. Costello’s great policy solution to the Superannuation Crisis? Australians should all go forth and multiply. What a visionary!
44. Provided tax cuts for everyone....EXCEPT POOR PEOPLE!!! Tax cuts at the last Budget were provided except to those people who actually need it: those unlucky enough to have to survive on less than 52 grand a year.
45. spent millions on keeping refugees out when they are a necessary boost to our workforce and economy.
46. Introduced a GST he promised never ever to introduce. It’s an unfair Tax that I was warned against by every European I have ever discussed it with. Small businesses have closed. Those that have survived have found the paperwork a nightmare. It penalises poorer families and advantages Howard’s rich cronies.
47. Free Trade Agreement with the US that failed to protect Australian content on TV and failed to protect our cheaper medicines that are the envy of the rest of the world.
48. Imported goods are dearer for Australian businesses because of the worthlessness of the Aussie dollar.
49. Because of a failure to invest in IT, the purchasing of overseas computers has significantly increased, which has been identified as a major threat to our surplus.
50. the tax on imported cars has been reduced.. which is great for Howard’s rich buddies who can afford them and shit for Australian car manufacturers.
51. As Howard says, they are collecting more of our money with the GST.
52. The last lot of tax cuts did much more for high income earners than middle income Australia. Looking after middle Australia, Muggaz?! I don’t think so!
53. FTA that is harsh on Queensland’s sugar industry.
54. Have promised to sell off Telstra once and for all. Any investor will tell you: YOU DON’T TOUCH YOUR CAPITAL! In the long term, this plan to privatise Telstra will cost the Australian economy millions of dollars and will mean even worse telephone services to the bush.
55. The whole point of running the economy well is to increase living standards, not have pretty figures! The whole point is to use it to improve health and education. These are long-term investments that pay off in the long run.
56. Because Howard refused to live in the Lodge, we had to fork out millions to upgrade security at Kirribilli.
57. The exchange rate reached a record low under Cotsello and is still 20 cents lower than it was under Labor.
58. Interest rates aren’t as low as they were 30 years ago under Whitlam.
59. The RBA says they are going to have to increase interest rates very soon.
60 Housing prices have roughly tripled!!!! Who cares about low interest rates when a house costs more total anyway?!
War on Terror
61. The likelihood of a terrorist attack on our shores has increased under Howard. Al-Qaeda and JI have been allowed to regroup and have promised to “bathe Australia in blood” as revenge for our unprovoked attack on Iraq. Before, they simply laughed at the idea that they would care about us.
62. Diverted resources for finding bin Laden and breaking up JI to instead take us into Iraq, who posed no threat to us.
63. Missed the signs on Bali. Intelligence reports indicated something like the Bali bombings could happen, and Downer ignored the warning to the peril of many Australians.
64. His poor relationships with Asia means the countries nearest us don’t want to help us fight terrorism and don’t want to make any efforts to prevent terrorism against the West.
65. Diverted Defence Force resources to fighting refugees instead of fighting terror.
66. There has been no public education on what to do in the event of a terrorist attack.
67. That fridge magnet really helped! Great use of money!
68. Politicised ONA so that they can’t give accurate assessments about our national security but have to provide what Howard wants to hear about what a splendid job he’s doing. Just ask Andrew Wilke, who resigned over the politicisation.