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>> I think that JH did lie when he said "never ever" about the
>> GST Have you actually seen the footage of Little Johnny saying this? Few people
have, and if you ask them about it they will say that he made it in some kind
of policy speech. The reality is quite different. This is my recollection:
He was being hounded by a
bunch of leftie journalists after losing the 1993 election, and they were
basically taunting him like a bunch of school kids with 'what about the GST?
what about the GST? Is this still your policy?' Howard, clearly disgusted, said
'never', and a journalist said 'never?' Howard walked off in disgust and said
'never ever'.
[If someone actually has the footage - or at least a transcript, please post it]. It was pretty clear to me that
- This was not a considered opinion, not an election promise, and not
policy.
- Johnny actually believed it at the time.
Branding Little Johnny a liar because he later reconsidered, and took
the choice to Australian electorate, is hardly an honest act.
>> Offering people a choice can be a lie when you have promised not to
>> offer people that choice, which is what he effectively did. You are playing the game of confusing the terms 'lie' and 'breaking a
promise'. They are not the same thing. You are liar if you make a promise with
the intention of breaking it, but breaking a promise does not make you a liar. >> Further, many people may well not have voted for JH the first time
>> had they known that doing so would open up the risk that a Liberal Government,
>> with the electoral strength that all government's enjoy after one term given
>> voter's relucatance to change governments quickly, would use that position to
>> push through an unpopular GST subsequently. So the people wouldn't have voted for Little Johnny if they had known that
they would then also vote for a GST at a subsequent election? This logic is
just weird. >> it seems reasonable to suggest, he knew when he mouthed the never ever
>> phrase that it was not a promise he would renege on later. I suggest you look at the footage of him making the statement - you may
like to reconsider that opinion.
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