The data shows compellingly that other nations with strong trade with China were not saved. Other countries which slashed interest rates suffered badly. And economies with a fiscal position even more formidable still went backwards.
The only nation to emerge relatively unscathed was the only one which deployed stimulus spending big enough and fast enough.
Fourth. The sneaky rhetorical question which also avoids actual fibs.
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Henry Ergas in June:
And do events prove that the carbon tax, also the world's highest, is damaging our competitiveness for no environmental benefit?
Does independent data show there has been substantial environmental benefit post carbon tax?
Was the reduction in emissions during 2012-13 more than ten times the reduction in the previous 12-month period?
Was power generation down by 4.3 terawatt hours, equivalent to 2.2 percent, and were CO2 emissions down by 12.2 million tonnes, equivalent to 6.9 percent?
Fifth. They make things up.
Henry Ergas in June:
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… the Howard government ran structural budget surpluses every year averaging 1.4 per cent of GDP; while every year it has been in office, Labor has run structural deficits averaging 2.8 per cent of GDP.
And:
… literally all the structural deficits were incurred on Labor's watch.
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About the Author
Alan Austin is an Australian freelance journalist currently based in Nîmes in the South of France. His special interests are overseas development, Indigenous affairs and the interface between the religious communities and secular government. As a freelance writer, Alan has worked for many media outlets over the years and been published in most Australian newspapers. He worked for eight years with ABC Radio and Television’s religious broadcasts unit and seven years with World Vision. His most recent part-time appointment was with the Uniting Church magazine Crosslight.