"facts" are glorious things which can vary depending on who issues them, and upon what basis they're calculated.

When the current party came into power in Australia, they changed the calculation of unemployment statistics. Prior to this government, people who worked one day of casual work instead of collecting the dole, were still able to register as unemployed in order to seek better work. They didnt cost the govt anything as they were self supporting, yet still sought fulltime work. Previously they were counted in our unemployment statistics, in recognition of the fact that they were subsisting and needed a proper income. This government removed them from the records of unemployed people, and then said that the level of unemployment reduced under their government (when in fact it went up).

Our former Minister of Immigration has published statistics saying we're the third most generous country in the world in our treatment of refugees, in fact according to UN stats we rank 32nd or something.

Lies, damned lies, and statistics.

Not that I'm saying all statistics are wrong, or that all people quoting them are being misleading, but it does pay to examine comparative sources (not that I'm ever going to do that here on Mudcat!)

freda