But I'm afraid that what we're seeing now is the "real" Julia. I think she believes that what the government is currently doing is the right thing, and it proves that her political judgment is woeful. I have yet to see an economist who thinks that returning the budget to surplus by next year is at all desirable; it's a policy that is being driven by Abbott, and Gillard and Swan have fallen into the trap. The only way to deliver a surplus in the current economic climate is by cutting spending on infrastructure and welfare, and the most vulnerable will suffer. We are in recession; perhaps not as severe as it would be had the Rudd government not spent on the stimulus, but it's still recession, and at least some of it is being driven by the banks, who have steadfastly refused to cut interest rates. We still need to see some government stimulus to help business thrive and encourage people to start spending again. We don't need more cutting back, but the government has allowed Abbott to spook them, and they're not thinking rationally.
Gillard could go down in history as a reformer in the Whitlam tradition, or she could be the most disliked prime minister ever. Sadly, all signs currently point to the latter.
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