Swan named worlds top finance minister

[RustyCage]

http://finance.ninemsn.com.au/newsbusiness/aap/8304697/swan-named-worlds-top-finance-minister

Treasurer Wayne Swan has been named Euromoney's Finance Minister of the Year, only the second time an Australian has won the prestigious award in its 29-year history.

The London-based finance magazine has awarded Mr Swan the title for his "careful stewardship" of Australia's finances and economic performance both during and since the global financial crisis.

"Throughout that time, Australia has not only avoided falling into recession, but has been the best performing of the world's developed market economies," Euromoney said in a statement on Wednesday (AEST).

It said that performance was confirmed when Australia posted 1.2 per cent growth in the June quarter of this year.

Former Labor treasurer (and later prime minister) Paul Keating won the award in 1984 - and was later referred to in some quarters as the "world's greatest treasurer".

But Australia's longest serving treasurer, Liberal Peter Costello, was overlooked during his near 12-year tenure.

[Gozu]

The reality is with Minister's and Treasurer's it's all their departments & staff that do the hard yards and with the Treasurer it's treasury that does it all. Swan personally would've had bugger all to do with us avoiding the GFC in a big way just like Costello had bugger all to do with the mining boom (he was known not to have a close relationship with Treasury) and Keating's personal input in the reforms of the 80's are probably exaggerated given his lack of economic qualifications. They just need to be across the detail and say yay or nay.

[mick]

Up there with Henry Kissinger winning the Nobel peace prize. He ought to be sharing it wilth Howard and Costello who nset it it up for him.

[Dogwatcher]

Greatest Treasurer in the World?

[cripple]

Sounds legitimate. Swan has been helped by Australia's strong resources no doubt and been given advice from others but it all comes back to him if it goes belly up. We have so far avoided a lot of the problems faced by other western nations which is commendable.

[White Line Fever]

That's two strange swan decisions this week.

First the All-Australian now this...

[southee]

Surely it's April the 1st ????

[Sojourner]

Why not hand Julia the Nobel Peace Prize to go with it - I am sure she has intentions for peace somewhere in the world.

[bulldogproud2]

Admittedly, even Tony Abbott stated at the time of the GFC that Australia would face a decade-long recession, full of double-digit unemployment levels. I think we have to credit Wayne Swan for being able to help avoid this and have Australia performing as the number one nation economically.
Cheers

[White Line Fever]

That's two strange swan decisions this week.

First the All-Australian now this...

And this is why I lost ALL my Money brownlow night