... And at least another ten years to undo the damage

The Prime Minister also failed on the BBQ stopper. Women still do not have Government funded paid maternity leave, women struggle to find affordable and accessible childcare and still have difficulty accessing secure, flexible and suitable work. The Government’s Industrial Relations reform and Welfare to Work reform will have a detrimental impact on women and their ability to balance work and family.

The new IR system will lower wages and conditions, it will further widen the gap between the haves and the have nots, and will lead us down the American path of the working poor.

Mr Howard has failed families on child care, care for those with disabilities, public education, mental health and dental services, deterring drug use and educating the young in responsible sex.

The list goes on.

Unfortunately it is likely that it will take more than ten years to undo the damage that Howard has done.

Australians need to reject this economic rationalist "strict father knows best" style government and start questioning the underlying values of the Howard conservative agenda and to look beyond the words and the marketing machine. Let's not be conned for another ten years.