Who is Australia's greatest Prime Minister over the past thirty years? (1 Viewer)

Who is Australia's greatest Prime Minister over the past thirty years?

  • Rudd

    Votes: 12 17.4%
  • Bob hawke

    Votes: 8 11.6%
  • Paul Keating

    Votes: 14 20.3%
  • John Howard

    Votes: 30 43.5%
  • Julia Gillard

    Votes: 5 7.2%

  • Total voters
    69

Sathius005

Active Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2007
Messages
716
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2008
Uni Grad
2018
Who is Australia's greatest Prime Minister over the past thirty years and why?
A)Kevin Rudd
B)Bob Hawke
C)Paul Keating
D) John Howard
 

Sathius005

Active Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2007
Messages
716
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2008
Uni Grad
2018
In my opinion Kevin Rudd is Australia's greatest Prime Minister over the past thirty years because of:
-strong economic management- kept Australia out of a Great Depression/ Great Recession during the time period concept of the Global Financial Crisis. Australia was facing the most challenging economic circumstances since the Great Depression. We got through the GFC with the lowest unemployment, strong public finances, strong economic growth and high workforce participation when compared to the rest of the Western World.
-pension reform- gave the biggest increase to the pension over the past thirty years after 11 years of neglect by the Howard government. Rudd reformed the pension system and increased the qualifying age of the age pension from 55 years to 67 years to ensure the sustainability of the pension system. We are living longer that means we should be working for a longer period of time.
- improved Health and Education services in Australia- working in partnership with the state governments reformed the education and health system; making it more productive, efficient and catered to circumstance contingent demands of the clients (needs based system). The Better Schools reform was a great success so much so Tony Abbott did a 'me too' on such policies.
- border protection reform- aimed to stop the boats by introducing tough border protection policies such as the Papua New Guinea Resettlement Solution for asylum seekers.
-strong national security- stepped up the fight against international terrorism and won the un winable wars in Iraq and Afghanistan by standing shoulder to shoulder with America and strengthening the US-Australia Alliance.
 
Last edited:

soloooooo

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2012
Messages
3,311
Gender
Female
HSC
N/A
You forgot Tony Abbott and Julia Gillard from your list.

I'd go with Howard personally. I don't remember those before him though.
 

OzKo

Retired
Joined
Jul 17, 2007
Messages
9,892
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
Uni Grad
2013
Toss up between Howard and Keating.

Howard put through the gun laws and the GST but Keating put through superannuation which has really helped every subsequent government with their budget.

Going to go with Howard but that's simply because I'm biased. I still have loads of respect for Keating RE: super.
 

funkshen

dvds didnt exist in 1991
Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Messages
2,137
Location
butt
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
Toss up between Howard and Keating.

Howard put through the gun laws and the GST but Keating put through superannuation which has really helped every subsequent government with their budget.

Going to go with Howard but that's simply because I'm biased. I still have loads of respect for Keating RE: super.
It still bewilders me that people think Howard was a better prime minister than either Hawke or Keating. Howard led australia into two wars (yes there was bipartisan support, but that's not the point), presided over a near unprecedented period of fiscal profligacy and a hollowing out of the tax base, largely through mostly middle class welfare programs (first home buyers grant, baby bonus, family tax benefit, 15% long term capital gains tax that ramped up negative gearing), fucked the privatisation of telstra, and botched the Northern Territory intervention. The economic merits of WorkChoices are dubious, and considering it was repealed before it really took effect we'll never really know. Let's not forget the Children Overboard affair, either.

When you compare Howard's reign to the heroic reforms of Hawke and Keating, especially in considering how many of these policies were at odds with the ideological underpinnings of the Labor party, it's quite clear that Howard was an absolute minnow. Howard's gun laws were as brave as they were politically opportunistic and astute.
 
Last edited:

nerdasdasd

Dont.msg.me.about.english
Joined
Jul 29, 2009
Messages
5,354
Location
A, A
Gender
Male
HSC
2012
Uni Grad
2017
Both prime ministers did a great job (Keating & Howard) with the country.
 

soloooooo

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2012
Messages
3,311
Gender
Female
HSC
N/A
Gillard was an idiot who should have been removed by the public.
 

JohnMaximus

shepherd of the people
Joined
Mar 28, 2013
Messages
585
Location
Elysium
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Gillard did get elected in.
By a handful of independents who may or may not have been influenced by a few tugs under the table. (Notsrs but kinda srs tho)

I'm voting Howard because he was in longest.

And he has the same initials as me.

And he was voted in the year of my birth.

I may have possibly been named after John Howard...
 

flashyGoldFish

Active Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2013
Messages
465
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
Gillard did get elected in.
When? When she knifed Kevin Rudd? Or sold out to the independants after hung parliament.

Dont get me wrong though, Id have Gillard as PM over Rudd, Shorten or Albanese every day of the week
 

someth1ng

Retired Nov '14
Joined
Sep 18, 2010
Messages
5,558
Location
Adelaide, Australia
Gender
Male
HSC
2012
Uni Grad
2021
When? When she knifed Kevin Rudd? Or sold out to the independants after hung parliament.

Dont get me wrong though, Id have Gillard as PM over Rudd, Shorten or Albanese every day of the week
2010 election - she technically got preferences after independent preferences but she did have the majority of votes by two party preferred (50.12%).
 

townie

Premium Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2004
Messages
9,646
Location
Gladesville
Gender
Male
HSC
2004
Uni Grad
2009
To be qualified they have to be elected by the people not faceless labor hacks.
News flash: the PM isn't directly elected by the people. The prime minister is the leader of the party or group that can command the confidence of the House of Representatives
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top