government at that time, but either way, it doesn?t really matter other than to show that when the Fraser Government took control of the Treasury benches, net government debt was negative. The Fraser Government was in power for 7 years. By 1983-84, the level of net government debt had risen to 7.5% of GDP and would reach 9.3% of GDP in 1984-85 as Treasurer Howard covered up the Budget problems during the 1983 election campaign. Such were the dynamics of the early 1980s domestic and global recession, that net debt rose a bit more over the next year and it peaked at 10.3% of GDP in 1985-86." http://www.marketeconomics.com.au/1996-a\\... Cherna: 27 Sep 2012 9:54:11am Last night I watched an inevitable interview on the ABC where Leigh Sales attacked one of her own in what can only be described as a shrill undisciplined performance by her; with her shouting interjections which prevented Tanner from making a fundamental point that Labor has lost the very ideals that defined it's worth as a party for the good of all, but especially for the good for the working people of Australia. It's sad that people miss the point that Tanner was making, and had he wished so he could have drawn on many examples available to him. Like the workers in Australia being ripped off to the tune of nearly 1 million dollars by unions representing them; made all the worse by the involvement of a Labor MP and a PM. I refer of course