Many had prophesied that his ambitious programme of London concerts would never take place, although few could have forecast why.
Here's what keen officials worry about: with a dismal financial forecast, why can't Ward soothe the panicky sponsors?
Tony Abbott noted last year that: "If the government really thinks that a surplus can be delivered, as opposed to being merely forecast, why is it proposing to add a further $50bn to the Commonwealth's debt ceiling?" Later in the year, Joe Hockey added, "The previous debt ceiling of $250bn was raised by Labor to $300bn in the May budget further confirming its inability to curb its debt addiction".
Now, a sceptic might say that if the modellers are only just learning about the importance of natural cycles to climate forecasts, why should we believe their predictions at all? Fair point.
This sort of amazing forecasting is why we still read Nostradamus today, despite the wide availability of authentic, federally registered psychics.
With fewer workers to generate tax revenues, further rises in health spending could destabilise the public finances.Such forecasts explain why health budgets have become a big worry for policymakers.
And although the Fed set an inflation target of 2% in January, many Fed officials apparently expect to undershoot it between now and 2014.The big question, given these downbeat forecasts, is why the Fed has not acted even more aggressively.
In this past Sunday's issue, Nate Silver wrote about the tremendous progress meteorologists have made in weather forecasting — and why, even so, the science behind it remains so indeterminate.
Sony Kapoor, of the Re-Define thinktank, said: "The sharply deteriorating economic forecasts underscore why despite the lull arising from a quietening of the acute phase of the crisis, EU policymakers must not be allowed to procrastinate and become complacent, a pattern that has characterised EU decision-making from the start of the crisis".
This is what sector leaders have been forecasting and why, as they gather in Bournemouth for this week's annual National Children and Adult Services (NCAS) conference, all their hopes are pinned on getting some respite from a relentless diet of cuts when the outcome of the government spending review emerges next month.
Given this forecast, Paul Krugman asks: "Why is anyone talking about an 'exit strategy'?" "The truth is that policy should be piling on," writes Krugman, "not looking for the exit".
