Recently articles have started to appear in the UK expatriate press that are clearly sowing the seeds of disinformation regarding Coalition economic success and the policies of Australian's "minor" political parties.

 http://www.rumble.net/blog/index.cgi/politix/blueattackdogs.html

In response to Mr Cameron Reynold’s letter, "A vote for the Green party", and his assertion that the Howard Government’s policies have "increased household income in our poorest and middle-class suburbs by 23.2% and 28.9%", I would like point him in the direction of the recent paper by the University of New South Wales' Social Policy Research Centre.

To quote the author, Mr Peter Saunders, "…while real disposable incomes have increased...., income inequality has also increased since 1994-1995, particularly between 199601997 and 1999-2000. Over the entire period from 1995-1995 to 2000-1 mean income in the top quintile increased by $111 a week, more than eight times the increase of $13 a week in the lowest quintile. Since the Howard government came to office, the new figures indicate that almost half (47.3%) of the total increase in disposable income was received by those in the top quintile - implying that half of the income generated by economic growth has been of no benefit to the bottom four-fifths (in income terms) of the population."

 http://www.sprc.unsw.edu.au/dp/DP130.pdf

Clearly further in-depth research by Mr Reynolds would have assisted in dispelling his belief that the Howard government is concerned about lower income Australians.