Rudd’s first budget kept the surplus at 1.8% of GDP, set in place $46 billion in tax cuts, and cut some of our middle class welfare. Obviously its a Labor budget and Rudd’s priorities wont match your own (or mine, I wanted a much stronger slashing of middle class welfare), but if anything it’s a more conservative budget than the last one from the Coalition. Indeed Rudd’s first budget proves how significantly he had to change his position due to the GFC.

JC – “You usefulness is even less than zero in these discussions as you have actually argued in support of bribery and dishonesty by the ALP.” No I argued that Australia as a middle power countries may need to buy influence (hell everyone up to the Chinese buy influence, check out their aid donations throughout the Pacific). There are many who find International Politics too morally confronting, and that’s fine, I respect you if you’re like the Greens and think withdrawal is our best moral choice. We need strong moral compasses like that in such debates to keep our consciences in check. However personally I’d rather Australia prospers and so I’m willing to accept some muck and dirt for long term benefit.

The government didn’t indulge in Keynesian policy.

We had no liquidity trap.

In September we had little indication of how severe the world economy would be hit by making Lehman Bros Bankrupt.

In December we had anecdotal evidence it was bad but still not as bad as it turned out.

No Forrest I didn’t remain quite at all, hint 1995

another hint they too had a liquidity trap.
By the way the Nazis only amplified and strengthened the policies already in place. Expansionary fiscal policies in Germany was agreed on by most parties.
It is amusing to hear from people who say no liquidity trap exists that economic growth will be weak when if they actually believe their own claptrap monetary policy is massively expansionary

Two months later:

We can avoid deficit: Wayne Swan.

Homer’s ongoing fantasy about the government being forced to Keynesian battle stations after Lehman Brothers is a complete fabrication.

for someone who claims that only the Nazis have had the courage to apply Keynesian economics and that they treated the Jews well before some stupid arbitrary date, you really have a nerve coming on here telling people what they should think.

But go ahead. Continue associating Keynes with the Nazi era while remaining quite about other times. I want you to do that.

Get lost.

No didn’t think so.

Put Forrest in charge of Liberal policy. He knows as a little as Joyce and can lie with a blank face.

By gingo those forward estimates show spending out of control don’ they.

Oh it appears the RBA amongst most mainstream economic bodies believes fiscal policy is dampening economic activity.

Tanner has a glass jaw. Bring the arguments right up to the dishonest dick such as his support for the “watch’s” etc.

As someone mentioned they could actually take Tanner right out if the Libs chose to at the next election.

Don’t run a lib candidate in the seat of melb. and ask lib voters to support the Green candidate. IF he’s going to lie like that, then take him out of the parliament.