Porter is just one of the all-to-common hacks in politics these days who couldn't get a job elsewhere. Australian politicians haven't show that they have the country's or the people's interests at heart for for a couple of decades now. I don't think they even worry about votes too much, either. As long as they get endorsement from their party, and people still vote for them, they are still on a good wicket, in government or in opposition.

Tudge is another one !

Lots of assertions, assumptions, few verifiable facts? Mostly partisan poppycock from the dubious pen of a CMFEU warrior?

If and when tenders are called for, they usually include the advice, lowest tender not necessarily accepted? And that included to keep the shonks and the unskilled out?

I don't believe anyone ought to be donating to any political party! Each should be gifted equal airtime and receive some funding from the electoral commission. If they meet the criteria?

One vote, one value and an irrevocable bill of human rights!
Alan B.

One vote, one value and an irrevocable bill of human rights!
Alan B,
One vote, one value and an irrevocable bill of human rights & one certificate to show fitness to vote !

40 odd years ago I was treasurer of a small country school P&C association, a bit north of Maryborough. It was a great little school, but suffering growing pains. The students went from 70 to over 240 in just a few years, after the area was "discovered".

The school desperately needed a new toilet block, & a government contract let for it to be built, but there was a problem. No sewerage in the area, so it was a septic system, but absorption trenches would not work in the heavy clay soil. An expiration area was needed, but it was somehow left off the contract.

The block could not be used with out it, & the head master turned to the P&C, could we pay for it. No, but we could build it. Many were farmers & contractors with all the gear to do the job. It took just a couple of weekends, the block builder did the connections, & we had a toilet block working, & a lovely hibiscus garden, well watered & fertilised.

The interesting thing was we got a copy of the contract for the block, along with the plans for the expiration system. It was very interesting to us simple folk. Remember this was late 1980s when project builders offered a small 3 bed suburban home in Maryborough for $34,000 on your land.

The contract was let to a principal contractor in Brisbane for $240,000. This was subcontracted to a second large contractor again in Brisbane for $190,000, & was again subcontracted to a large regional construction firm in Wide Bay Burnett for $120,000. Finally a small builder from Hervey Bay built the thing for $46,000, & reckoned it was his most profitable project all year.

This appears to be standard practice with small government jobs in country areas.

Hasbeen,
Up in the North the practice is to give approval to start building in the Wet Season & the date of completion is set just after the end of the Wet.
So, when projects fall behind due to the wet weather, the contractors get lumped with penalties for not finishing in time.