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The author reflects on the governance of John Howard during his term as prime minister of Australia. He notes that central to Howard's policies were social and cultural issues. He points out that Howard was far more comfortable with a democratic approach to foreign policy than most before him. He says that the Howard administration extended Australia's commitment to economic reform through a decade when the politics of reform were both harder in the community and tougher in parliament.

The author reflects on the trends in Australia's public spending. Current Prime Minister Kevin Rudd strongly upholds regulation designed to stop reckless spending in the government budget. Under Rudd, the government has been maintaining a budget surplus and not spending as much as it could. He notes however, under John Howard's administration, it was debt averse. He notes that the Commonwealth Treasury reported that Commonwealth spending has risen 54% since 2000-2001.

The article discusses the denunciation by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott on the tax policies of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in Australia. It highlights the criticism made by Abbott on Rudd's emission trading scheme referring to it as a fund for politicking and bribing which was practiced by the government of former Prime Minister John Howard. The possibility of social conservatism in the Labor Party due to the support of baby boomers and Abbott's suggestion to cut taxation are also included.