The Choice this Saturday

There is no risk-free change of government
By John Howard
AUSTRALIANS face a critical choice between an experienced team that has overseen unprecedented economic growth and a Federal Labor Party that has no plan to maintain our prosperity.

Today, Australians enjoy a fantastic quality of life that is unequalled anywhere in the world. Our supremely strong economy is linked into the broader resources boom, but has been able to diversify and build new strengths, especially across the services sector.

The Coalition will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that the Australian economy remains strong.

Critically, we will maintain our workplace reforms – a key contributor to the strength of our economy and particularly the mining industry. Under Labor’s union-centric industrial relations plans, the strength of the resources sector will be undermined and the nation’s prosperity will be put at risk.

The abolition of Australian Workplace Agreements and the return of the unfair dismissal laws, both of which are Labor policies, will damage businesses of all sizes across the country.

Bringing back anti-job unfair dismissal regulations will push up unemployment because business will be less likely to hire new staff.

People who think the economy is good and the nation is secure but are flirting with change just for the sake of change, should remember that there is no such thing as a risk-free change of government.

Australia will not be the same if the nation elects a Labor-union government.

We must all be mindful that there are some dark economic clouds on the horizon with the credit squeeze and a possible downturn in the US economy. For Australia, this global uncertainty will require extremely careful economic management. Otherwise, inflation will rise and this could mean interest rates rise too.

Only a Coalition Government can successfully navigate our $1.1 trillion economy through these uncertain times.

One wrong move by inexperienced amateurs could lead to an inflation breakout and inevitably a significant lift in interest rates. This would directly affect every Australian household.

If Labor is elected on Saturday, across Australia we will have "wall-to-wall" Labor governments, federally and in every state and territory, for the first time ever. There will be no checks and no balances on these extreme union bosses.

Unions will have no restraints on them and will enter work sites without permission. They will demand pay rises without equivalent productivity increases, unavoidably putting pressure on inflation and interest rates.

My Government has a bold 9-point plan to protect and grow Australia. We have a tax plan to help families, reward hard work and grow the economy. We will build 100 new Australian Technical Colleges to improve the skills of our young people and ensure our workforce has the skills necessary to keep the economy strong.

The Coalition wants to reduce the unemployment rate to three per cent and help grow small business. We will help families and seniors with cost of living pressures through tax reform, a significant boost in the Utilities Allowances and a plan to encourage savings to make housing more affordable for first home buyers.

We will also boost frontline health services by increasing the number of Australian-trained GPs and establishing 50 Family Emergency Medical Centres in local communities.



Finally, we have practical plans for infrastructure, water and climate change such as a world-leading Emissions Trading Scheme to drive investment in low emission and renewable energy technology without sacrificing jobs or economic growth.

John Howard is Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Party of Australia
Website: liberal.org.au