Is KRudd the biggest political liar of all time?

We all know we cannot completely trust promises by any politician, but for Kevin Rudd to have broken all 6 of his top policies within his first year has to be some kind of record.

He promised to withdraw from Iraq but instead has confirmed a further commitment.

He promised to ratify Kyoto. Yes he did sign but made the exact same changes Mr. Howard wanted before he would sign.

He promised to lower interest rates. We have had an increase every month since he has been P.M. I know he cannot control global influences but he led everyone to believe he could do it.

Promised to abolish workchoices yet most of the workchoice systems are still in place and will remain in place. The only changes made are those that the Howard Government had already established needed changing.

Now the Rudd government is making plans to remove or at least limit the baby bonus which had been promised to remain in place.

Now these are all things he used to convince people to change to Labor and was very convincing. He will have to be even more convincing to stay in power next election.

I guess if you've never been outside Australia or never examined international politics you could conclude that Kevin Rudd is the biggest political liar of all time...

But even then, I give you his predecessor, you know, the guy who said there would "never, ever" be a GST.

At least, not during the coming mandate, because, apparently, "never, ever" in Australia means "until the next election".

Remember "core promises" and "non-core promises"?

You are tight. I should have clarified Australian politician. I admit I didn't allow for Bush & co or the others.

As for the GST. That was 1 issue. Here Krudd has not just broken but absolutely shattered his 6 top election winning promises.

Originally posted by VIKINGANT

He promised to lower interest rates. We have had an increase every month since he has been P.M.

As for the interest rates I recently spoke to a specialist in the financial expert about the increases of late. He stated the economy works on or around a 10 to 12 year cycle so the rate increases are actually due to the Howard goverments failure of the economy not Rudds as you state.

It also doesn't help when people send more than the make. We now have live in a society where people can't save to buy the things the want because they want them now. This is the reason for the rate increases, we have to start saving more than we spend then it will balance itself out.

reply to post by cnm1976


I never said the interest rates were his fault. I even stated that in the OP there were uncontrollable factors. I am just saying he gave the impression that he could keep them low if not bring them lower.

I also just remembered. He promised (not for the election but still a promise broken) to investigate grocery prices as a priority. So far bugger all has come from that.

reply to post by cnm1976


Bingo!

You want to know who made the conomy look like it did? Easy, who had the keys to the treasury for the last decade? Who created a High Credit, Low Savings economy whose growth was solely predicated on the construction of new houses consumers HAD to go into debt to buy?

And who, for the last five years at least, publicly igored all warnings about where that situation was leading Australia?

reply to post by HowlrunnerIV


Apologies for the apparent 1 liner but please see above. We seem to have had a simultaneous posting.
Thank you

It's early-days yet, it's barely 6 months since the election.

To an extent, higher grocery prices and interest rates can be blamed on inflation - a legacy left from the spend-thrift Howard years. That has to be undone, but any work that is done to lower grocery prices, and God forbid, petrol, will be completely nullified by the rise in the cost of oil.

However, I am becoming wary of Rudd - last year he was the media's darling. Now, he's extremely insulated from the media, I can't even recall one recent interview with him. Maybe a vague follow up on the so-called '20/20' ideas summit that was going to fix everything. The only thing that came out of that was a bunch of fluff words from intellectuals - words like 'new federalism' and God knows what else, I watched it on TV, but it was all very dry stuff.

Now, the ABC has been trying through freedom of information to get data released about what Labor's changes to workplace laws has done to inflation - they were DENIED that FOI request. However, a similar request by Channel 9 to get information about the former treasurer, Peter Costello, and his impact on inflation, was promptly answered.

Go figure. The Labor party is no different from the Liberals, they're going to squeeze the media's balls any which way they want to suit themselves, and I'm annoyed that more hasn't been made about it, especially when we're a week away from their first budget.

I wouldn't call Kevin Rudd a liar at all at this point, I just think he's applying several coats of Teflon™ right now to keep himself in a good light. But what other new PM wouldn't...

reply to post by mattguy404


Politically speaking K Rudd was the biggest media tart around for a while. I used to like watching him on sunrise but have been disappointed with his efforts thus far.
I would have loved to see Joe Hockey as Lib leader so they could go head to head at a different level. Things would be different then I would say.
But yeah. He has slowed down a bit I have noticed. Julia and Wayne seem to be more in the spotlight lately.

There was an article in the paper a few weeks ago that showed how we have replaced one devious Prime Minister for another. Citing Kevin Rudd's promise that there would be no Chinese security protecting the Olympic torch, apparently standing up to pressure from the Chinese. In the end Chinese got their way and were allowed 2 security officers protecting the torch, much to the dismay of the federal police.

They also pointed out how the biggest idea to come out of the 20/20 summit was actually an idea put forward by Kevin Rudd himself, namely the child care super clinics.

There was also the fact that the majority of people at the convention were seemingly hanpicked republicans, as opposed to monarchists.

Only time will tell but so far its like he reading from the script of lie, lie and lie again. I put forward the next big thing that he will propose to curb inflation is to raise the GST.

That's what we Aussies get when Labour and Liberal converge and agree on so many issues they fuse into one party.

Let's face it, there's hardly any variation on there stances relating to major policies like the Iraq War, US Support, Interest Rates, Housing, Taxes and Industrial Relations.

These two parties are slowly edging closer and closer to each other, and what happens? "Meet the new boss, same as the old."
Were replacing one short, hypocritical liar with another.

K. Rudd is acting the exact same way Howard did after the election, promises went right down the drain.

Originally posted by Cthulwho
Citing Kevin Rudd's promise that there would be no Chinese security protecting the Olympic torch, apparently standing up to pressure from the Chinese. In the end Chinese got their way and were allowed 2 security officers protecting the torch, much to the dismay of the federal police.

You mean this...

Australia's government had been insistent that its officers would provide protection for the flame, not the phalanx of blue-suited Chinese guards who are travelling with the torch.

The Australian police officers repeatedly pulled the three Chinese guards trying to run with the torch away from their positions alongside the torchbearers.

news.bbc.co.uk...

That doesn't look much like either dismay, kowtowing or 2 security officers being allowed to protect the torch...

I know we will have to wait unti ltonight to see the full impact, but here is potentially another example for you. Tax cut for everyone he said....

Australian Workers Union spokesman Paul Howes says inflation is a threat to working families and he wants an option in the Budget to pay the tax cuts into superannuation.

"Rather than see this money driven back into the economy through tax cuts, it will go into savings," he said.

Full Story

As much as paying into super is a good thing in many ways, I think alot of people were expecting to see extra cash at the end of the week. I know many were counting on it.

It will be evry intersting to see what else comes out of the budget. I have a feeling I will have plenty to discuss here come tomorrow......

:edit. You'd think I would know how to BB Code for externals by now...

[edit on 12/5/2008 by VIKINGANT]

And it goes on. Today I learned that Krudd is now not going to subsidise all solar installations but limit it to incomes under A$100,000. How serious is he about "Cooling the planet".

Also, St. George bank have again upped their interest rates. I know there is only so much he can do about world economy but this is the bank doing it on their own. Surely he an step in here. It is nearly up to 10% already.

On top of this there is talk about the carbon tax being applied to petrol.....this will not bring the prices down as he had promised!!

Come on Ruddy! Lets see just one promise fulfilled.

if they were serious about lowering fuel prices and helping motorists, they would allow companies to bring out Natural Gas Conversions. they have been tested already last year, a kit costs bout 4grand to install but natural gas is selling at a rate, last I heard of bout 20 cents per litre and australia has 3-400 years of supply.

Why dont we all use Natural gas for bloody everything, trucks, buses etc etc.

Im a labour voter and have always voted for labour, I absolutely despised Howard as I despise all politicians.

I honestly thought Rudd was a breath of fresh air, and in a way I guess he is, but I have seen him pander almost imediately after he got in, to some sort of Global force/Mandate that overules his decisions and ideas.

Its as if someone has tapped him on the shoulder after he got in and said, "Buddy, we are going to do this 'this' way, OK?"

His attitude to Bush turned right around after getting in, I dont like his closeness with China and Asia.

His idea about a Asian and/or Pacifuc Union I totaly despise. NWO ideas if I ever saw it.

Why cant we have a strong and smart leader everybody can be proud off, that has the balls to stand up to anyone?

We need to distance ourselves for a generation I beleive from everyone, any sort of outside influence. Stop immigration, invest in education, if we have to import it, give tax incentives for companies to make it here, raise the taxes on imports so they cost more so we buy local.

Keep the money in australia for australians not for some cheap quality chinese made imitation crap thats flooding the market.

Mate, really get me going the way everything is slowly falling apart, and nobody seems to give a rats AR@# !

please be patient Kevin Rudd isn't to blame why? because LIBERAL still controls the senate (liberal has the majority in the upper house) and as a result until we the voters of Australia change the balance of power in the senate Kevin Rudd cant make the changes we all want because liberal keeps blocking the new laws from coming into effect, thats why everything is still the same!

reply to post by ST SIR 86


I am sorry but things are not the same. Things have declined rapidly.
Sure some things do take time to adjust but there are quite a few things Labor can do but have't. Some things are Just Kevy's descision, such as his amendments to Kyoto, Withdrawall from Iraq, HIS decision on the Solar subsidies and so on...

oh one more thing did you all know that last year our old hero johnny made a contract to sell natural gas to the Chinese for $10 / ton that equates to
1 cent per liter natural gas for the next 25 years and theres nothing that kevin rudd can do to change it because if he does australia has to compensate china for the next 25 years

I am very much aware of that. but the volumes we have and the prices we can get for it we can still run our vehicles for less that a quarter of our urrent prices even with a 'Keep China happy' surcharge.

Dont get me wrong. I am not a huge fan of little Johhny but am very disapointed with all the big talk from Kev that has gone pretty much nowhere. He made comments and suggestions that he could produce miracles and eery one so far has gone the other way.

Like Melbourne Melitia said it is as if he has been instructed by a 'higher power' to disregard all he once stood for (Or thing he gave the impression he stood for anyway)