Testing time for Rudd government

Comments on Paul Kelly “Labor's character test”, 2/09/2009, http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26014152-12250,00.html

The longer the time went on and the more evidence we got, the more problems have been shown up in the government's economic, budgetary and expenditure management.

Although there are some understandable reasons to expect some difficulties, such as a new and inexperienced government with a lot of commitment to deliver, the largely unexpected and sudden financial and economic crisis that forced upon a new government to act and act quickly, the many and huge programs going on at the same time.

However, it has been nearly two years since the Rudd government was elected now and it is time for it to reflect on how it has performed in terms of both expectations and delivery and make rapid adjustment to the way how it governs and leads the nation.

It is not too late yet for the Rudd government to improve and show its management especially program management credential in addition to its political skills. But it should not have any complacency in recognising and addressing the problems already showing up and pay attention to future programs that are to come.

If the Rudd government can rapidly improve from now on, it will be a more formidable government / party and will like be in government for a long time to come. But if it doesn’t change rapidly, its huge election mandate and popularity will evaporate soon and will have the danger to be an one term government, notwithstanding its huge popularity in the last election.

It is a matter for the Rudd government to decide what it wants to do that will determine the outcome of the next election, given that the current disarray state of the opposition.