Never judge a book by its coverage in the press

Wednesday, 19th August 2009

The Costello Memoirs is a publishing success story and represents a true conservative manifesto, says Tom Switzer

‘It would be of enormous benefit to implement structural changes now that will bear fruit in the recovery,’ Costello says in his revised memoirs. ‘Changes that heighten flexibility in the economy will promote faster recovery; changes that allow flexible agreements in the workplace, enhance employee share ownership and reduce marginal income tax rates. Labor has introduced harsh effective marginal tax rates with changes to the private health rebate, family tax benefits and maternity leave. Reducing these would improve work incentives.’

If this case is not spelt out in a coherent and compelling manner, Kevin Rudd, like Barack Obama in the US and Gordon Brown in the UK, will be able to alter the relationship between the federal government and private sector that has been in place for decades. Then the private sector led the economy; by the Prime Minister’s own intent and purposes, now Canberra will chart its course. Rudd’s new system may not represent socialism, but it is not the system that has produced Australia’s miracle economy over which Peter Costello presided.