KEVIN RUDD seemed to me to win more then just the debate. He showed dignity and Howard seemed to be like some amateur who didn't know how to answer or didn't answer the questions put at all!
He even put up a temperament that Kevin Rudd was lying about the OCD report, even so Kevin Rudd simply correctly referred to it being from 1996 to 2004. The Fact that John Howard likes to include years that were not at the time included in the report does not mean Kevin Rudd was lying. Indeed, if those years had been included of all other countries also it may still not likely change one of iota the conclusion as all countries also may have increased its spending in that regard.
Kevin Rudd’s refusal to give certain benchmarks , I view, is to his credit where he made clear that he leaves it up to the scientist and their report. After all didn’t Malcolm Turnbull do the same?
As for the promises John Howard made, I can remember the “never ever GST on my watch” .
Also not going to war as we would await the UN Security Council decision, this while all along he had armed services officers in the USA working with the USA armed forces as to how to invade Iraq!
The issue is not and should not be how much money we can get out of the budget or the election promises but rather do we want our future dominated any further by lies and deceit, and our children and grandchildren will grow up with this kind of conduct?
I noticed that John Howard is talking on the debate how his government is giving back to the people by tax cuts. Excuse me, I am a “CONSTITUTIONALIST” and happen to understand and comprehend what the Constitution is about. Howard is the one lying about giving money back, he is not giving back one cent as what he promise to do is to cut taxes in the future. Now, constitutionally the Commonwealth can only raise taxes as is needed to fund the workings of the commonwealth (like the cost for the Department, etc) and to hand back to the States (see Section 94 of the Constitution) surplus. So, the truth is that the appropriation bills placed before the parliament should be as to voter such cost and no more. Howard bleeding people with taxes isn’t returning them at all!
All he does make known is not to tax us in future as much as he has already done, and we all know how he is a man of his word, such as the “CHHILDREN OVERBOARD”, ETC.
More then likely he will claim no one told him there was something wrong and before we know it whatever he promised, like the lowest interest rates, do not eventuate.
I must make clear that I will not vote for anyone, as I have refused to vote in past federal elections despite then being an INDEPENDENT candidate!
I CHALLENGED THE VALIDITY OF THE 2001 AND 2004 Federal elections and while convicted by a magistrate on 17 November 2005 with the magistrate refusing to provide me with a written reason of judgment as to why he convicted me, despite that I specifically requested this, on appeal the County Court of Victoria upheld my appeals and set aside the convictions where all my constitutional issues raised by me were and remained UNCHALLENGED by the lawyers of the Federal Government in the 5-year legal battle. I maintained all along that regardless of Section 245 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 the Commonwealth of Australia has no constitutional powers to compel any elector to enrol and/or to vote and in fact the Framers of the constitution specifically refused to give the commonwealth of Australia such legislative powers.
As such, where I succeed on these and numerous other constitutional grounds, I for one will refuse to vote as this is my right.
I oppose candidates having to pay a “deposit” which denies many a person to be a candidate! As I placed before the Court and so UNCHALLENGED, it is UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
Likewise for an INDEPENDENT candidate having to do a mini election to get 50 nominations is unconstitutional, as the Framers of the Constitution made clear that any elector was entitled to be a candidate as long as they were not in breach of the provisions of Section 44 of the Constitution.
Likewise the unconstitutional “payment per primary vote” is unconstitutional and robs ordinary candidates not involved in political parties (they are unions also!) to be disadvantaged as the political parties can afford expensive television and newspaper adds at cost of the taxpayers by this.
While John Howard is going on about the coast to coast Labor government being a danger, he omitted to state that he desires to get rid of State governments and so have a central government from coast to coast from Canberra! As such it is the pot calling the kettle black!
See also my website at
http://au.360.yahoo.com/profile-ijpxwMQ4… for further material