Many of Australia’s most pressing social and economic problems can be traced to policy choices made during the Howard years, from housing and inequality to wages, tax and public services.

Thirty years ago (2 March, 1996), the defeated Prime Minister Paul Keating said: “When you change the government, you change the nation.” It was one of the most profound and prophetic statements in Australia’s political history.

As what remains of the Liberal Party celebrates the anniversary of the ascension of John Howard as its second-longest-serving Prime Minister, it is worth pointing out that longevity in office is not worth celebrating in Howard’s case. Indeed, the longer he was in office, the more damage he did.

Virtually every social and economic ill in Australia today has it genesis in the policies of the Howard Government. Let’s itemise them.

Population, housing, and employment. Howard ramped up immigration at the behest of business which wanted cheap labour. Howard was ideologically obsessed by reducing the power of unions. That policy had some merit in moderation, but the wholesale destruction of secure employment with decent conditions (which Howard’s Work Choices did) had no merit.

The side effect of disempowering unions through mass cheap immigrant labour was manifold. It spawned the gig economy, job insecurity, stagnant wages, and lower productivity. It caused huge pressure on infrastructure, health, and education. It gave fodder to the racism of Pauline Hanson and One Nation.

To make the high-immigration policy palatable, Howard had to be seen to be harsh on refugees to politically counter the Hanson slogan of Australian “being swamped by Asians”.

Yes, the massive boat arrivals had to be........

© Pearls and Irritations