The Coalition win the 1990 Australian Federal Election

Teejay

Gone Fishin'
The POD is the Coalition run a more negative campaign, focusing on the extremely high interest rates at the time. This would be broadly similar to the campaign that was employed in the South Australian state election in the previous year. The result on the election held on the 24th of March is that the Coalition wins a large victory with about 54% of the two party preferred vote. So Andrew Peacock becomes the 24th Prime Minister of Australia. In OTL according to Paul Kelly in his book the End of Certainty Labor was extremely behind in the opinion polls in the months before the 1990 election and the Liberals not deciding to adopt the extremely successful campaign that the state Liberals in South Australia. Allowed Labor to win a narrow victory in the 1990 federal election in OTL.

How would be a Peacock Coalition government be like compared to the last years of the Hawke Government and the Keating government were in OTL?
 
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I presume John Hewson with his dogmatic right-wing views will become Treasurer, assuming Peacock wins a slim majority. If this is the case, Hewson will use the early 1990's slump to push through major cuts in health, education, and social services. A Paul Keating victory at the next election is almost assured. Considering how 1993 wasn't exactly a year of recovery in Australia, Keating will also have the chance to consolidate after seven years of Labor government.
 

Teejay

Gone Fishin'
I presume John Hewson with his dogmatic right-wing views will become Treasurer, assuming Peacock wins a slim majority. If this is the case, Hewson will use the early 1990's slump to push through major cuts in health, education, and social services. A Paul Keating victory at the next election is almost assured. Considering how 1993 wasn't exactly a year of recovery in Australia, Keating will also have the chance to consolidate after seven years of Labor government.

The majority in this POD would be a fairly comfortable one in the Lower House, however the Australian Democrats hold the balance of power in the Senate.

With Andrew Peacock at the helm, overall I would expect an agenda broadly in line with the OTL Fightback. Although somewhat moderated than in OTL and being implemented gradually than John Hewson proposed as Liberal leader in OTL. Plus Negotiation would be needed with the Australian Democrats to get the agenda through the Parliament, although depending on how leads the Labor Party they might support some of it.

For example; a GST would be introduced although with possible exemptions such as fresh food.Therefore; I see a lot of economic deregulation and tax reforms, however major cuts in health, education and social services probably not occur in this TL. However I can't rule out the early 1990's slump be used as justification to do what you have argued, the Kennett Government in Victoria certainly did do that in OTL. However they had a majority in both houses of the state parliament. While the Peacock government in this TL needs to rely on the Australian Democrats to get legislation through the Senate.

Paul Keating as opposition leader might not necessarily happen in this OTL, since he could flack a lot of blame for the Labor defeat. I wonder who else would be Labor leader instead of Paul Keating?
 
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