Does Yesterday’s Man, And His Team, Have Answers For Tomorrow’s Problems?

Yes, one will think they are having feelings of deja vu, if this nation is unlucky enough to experience an L-NP government. Proudly sitting on that front bench, will be 16 MPs from the Howard government.

One could say, it will be a rebirth of the Howard government, six years after it was turfed out of power.

When Hockey and Abbott, along with Morrison say, we did it then, we will do it again, they mean, we will also be doing it with the same people.

Now some might find this comforting, Abbott apparently sees it as a sign of stability.

Even the election campaign of Abbott’s has just been picked up and dusted off from his 2010 effort. Nothing new in view.

Since the Howard days, nothing has been the same. We have experienced a major GFC; which much of the world has not yet recovered. We have seen a massive change in the world order, leading to the emergence of the Asian century. The economy has become global, as never before. We have seen the rising of the new technical and digital age.

Yes, we now have global trade and exchange of business, in a world where boundaries no longer count. Workers now move around the globe seeking work. It is becoming near to impossible to make big, and even some small industry pay taxes.

Yes, we are now in a world where tax revenues are decreasing each day.

Last night, we saw the two candidates that wish to be treasurer for the next three years.

Did we hear anything of the falling tax revenues?  Did we hear anything of the structural imbalance within the budget? Did we hear of any plans on how to deal with the big problems, this and many other countries are facing, many that will need global answers.

All we heard from Hockey was lying, about debt, and manipulating and refusing to put his costings up front.

From Bowen, I would have liked to hear some answers to problems that are in the present, and the near future. I would have loved to hear some talk of taxation reform that might have prepared us for the future.

Yes, things like Better Schools, training opportunities to grow workers’ skills. Mr. Abbott, your dream of Independent public schools will not deliver. There is no evidence or data available, that says they will.

Same goes for the dismantling of the public hospital system, reverting back to being one of local community boards. That was discarded early last century, when hospitals moved from being Cottage Hospitals to the massive network of high technology hospitals we have today. Once again, yesterday’s solutions, for the problems of today, and tomorrow.

Then there is the dismantling of Medicare Locals, which many communities are already getting benefits. No thought taken, of deliberately wasting the money that has already been spent on them. In NSW and Queensland, we see their governments closing down community medical centres that have existed for decades. Clinics that deal with women’s issues. That deal with sexual disease and much more. One example, is the Liverpool Women’s Medical Centre. Clinics that cater mostly for the poor, and at risk in our society.

Yes, then there is the great infrastructure the new highways of this time, the NBNCo.

We have the NDIS, that brings the disabled into this age, and enables them to be a part of the economy, not only a drag on it.

Yes, Mr. Abbott, we know that grandiose roads tickle your fancy, but what about public transport, rail and even at the airport in Sydney. Yes, all essential infrastructure for the future.

Yes, there is much money, already available to train our young indigenous youth.

Yes, Mr. Abbott, I know you did promise to give money for this, but before you go ahead, it might be clever to have a look at what is already available. In fact might be helpful for you, and cheaper for us if you actually took time out to see what the Labor government has achieved in the last six years. Your answer seems to be, demolish, and replace it with your own schemes.

Mr. Abbott, many of your grandiose schemes could work within what is already established. Two for starters are Labor’s PPL and believe it or not, the CEFC.

Mr. Abbott, there seems to be only one reason to dismantle the NBNCo. at this stage. That is your ideology, and hatred of anything Gillard. All evidence indicates that NBNCo. in the long run will deliver the best available, at the cheapest cost. Yes, sometimes it is prudent to take the long time view.

Sorry, I do not want yesterday’s men in charge. I say men, as fewer women seem to be there as decoration, and to serve their masters. Women who found being told they are sexy as a compliment worry me.

I do not believe that the answers that work in the past, will work today. The world we live in today has entirely different problems, therefore requires different solutions.

Mr. Shorten, is now talking PNPC, asking what a good society is. Yes, I agree with him, it is one where women and men see the same. One that caters to all.

A good society should empower all. Yes, I want a good society, do you?