No matter what is proposed, you can be sure that a huge number of critics will crawl out of the woodwork and want to prevent it happening. We seem to be living in the age of the "Nay Sayers " and the logic they usually apply defies all sense of proportion.
Since the end of the second world war we have faced ever growing traffic congestion on the Sydney road network. Car drivers have been agitating for more roads while the Greenies demand that what we need is improved public transport. Now that plans are underway to deliver both - a massive number of people are hell bent on trying to stop both the installation of light rail and the West Connex arterial road system.
The latest argument against light rail being installed along George street in the CBD is travel time. Some genius has calculated that the existing heavy rail trains will get you from Circular Quay to Central is just seven minutes - and you can walk that distance in about thirty minutes. Critics howl that light rail will take - shock - horror - a whole fifteen minutes.
Of course, there is one very big difference. Light rail is the return of trams - and trams make constant stops to pickup and put down passengers. Taking the train delivers far fewer options and most passengers face a long walk from whatever station to where they really want to go.
West Connex critics seem to think that improving the road system will just bring more cars into the city. Roads are the very heart of the transport system and without commercial traffic the city would grind to a halt. Across the entire world the most efficient cities are those that combine fast public transport and an efficient road system - in which one compliments the other and allows the individual a choice in transport needs.
Paying for much of these improvements relies on the lease of forty-nine percent of the poles and wires that underpin our electricity system - and it looks like that will need the vote of independent Senator Fred Nile to become reality. The Senator is musing that perhaps he will insert conditions into that piece of legislation to safeguard the power workers jobs - and only allow a workforce reduction in numbers by voluntary redundancies.
That would have a very big effect on the price that could be obtained for the lease. As a government instrumentality it is "feather bedded " outrageously and if efficiencies are blocked by legislation it's appeal would be limited. We are promised reductions in the price of electricity and much of that will rely on our power system becoming more efficient - as has been the case in other states which have followed a similar leasing plan.
Perhaps the most ludicrous criticism is that flung at Agricultural Minister Barnaby Joyce for his threat to have two Yorkshire Terriers smuggled into Australia on the private jet of a Hollywood movie star euthanised if they were not removed from this country.
We maintain strong defences against exotic diseases and crop pests which could decimate our agricultural industry and offenders can face a fine of up to $ 340,000 or even a decade prison term. In particular, we are free of Rabies, which is common in the country where Pistol and Boo were previously living, and their import involved a deliberate intent to bring them into the country in defiance of our quarantine laws.
A senior official has termed Barnaby Joyce's threat as "unfortunate " ! It seems that it is us that needs to apologise for placing inconvenience on a movie star who is graciously making a film in our country that will add to treasury's bottom line. The matter of what fine or penalty will be imposed is still awaiting a decision - and the arrogance shown is so overwhelming that if it results in a mere slap on the wrist the farm lobby will be disgusted !
It seems that when any sort of progress is suggested - Newton's Law comes immediately into force.
To every action - there is an immediate and opposite reaction !
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