bunsen burner said:
And inflation and high interest rates to go with it.
No that came later, during the recession we had to have; largely due to the US recession of the early 90's. Beyond your comprehension admittedly so I won't mark you too hard for that.
Wakey wakey, hands off snakey. Are you trying to say Keating's reforms resulted in 8 years of good economic policy? Bit convenient don't you think?
Of course they did. From the floating of the dollar which made our exports more competitive to flexible wage rates (the accord ring a bell?) to the deregulation of the financial industry (now that's where lower interest rates really come from - competition); Howard and Costello have coasted on the back of these reforms. Tell me, aside from the GST (whose positive effect is debateable) what has this govt achieved? Or are you a parrot without any real insight into the subject?
The reality is that unemployment has always been low under Howard. Forget the stats, can you honestly say that there has been a shortage of jobs?
The official unemployment rate is virtually the same as the previous low points of 89 and 79. It's actually higher when you factor in the increasing disguised unemployment rate (such things as work for the dole and disability benefits). The percentage of australian men in full time employment is the lowest since the depression. Get a clue.
people are changing the way they go about things. What makes you think there's this huge increase of people who can't find full time work so have to settle with part time? Me thinks you are full of it.
The facts speak for themselves numnut; the percentage of the population in full time work is the lowest for 40 years. Part time and casual workers are growing exponentially as a proportion of the workforce, mainly because this govt has done bugger all to stimulate genuine employment growth (education? don't start me).