WHEN Tony Abbott’s government came to power just seven years ago, it promised to have Australia live within its means, to get back into the black, to free our children and grandchildren from the coming burden of massive debt.
It was a fear campaign with relevance to those who had worked, scrimped and saved. That debt – then around $175b – was promoted as a significant threat to Australia’s future generations, and when the Labor Government was thrashed in the election, it seemed that most voters must have shared the view.