People just haven't woke up to the fact that Australian government on all tiers has been appropriated lock stock and barrel by "globalisation", largely of the neolib type. People are waiting for decisons on things that governments no longer are able or will in to do for fear of the Big End of Town and its string pullers in Tokyo, City of London, Wall St, Washington etc, off shore.
Deindustrialisation destroyed the labor base, the national project idea is dead in its tracks and the vultures and grubs colonised the corpse in different ways, according to type, years ago.
All that's left is Hansonist ignorance, induced in a mediatised system whose final act was the self-mutilation represented in the destruction of public news and broadcasting.

So the next question to ask is how long will it take the public to work out the NSW Lib/Nats are just as bad?

Too true Paul Walter.See http://secretofoz.com/ L Frank Baum in his book"The Wizard of Oz' had deep economic meaning that explained the reason for misery we are suffering now.The revolution has begun.

Kenny

Given both their historys ... a bloody long time.

It was no secret that Labor would lose, it was only by how much and it was a landslide. However Barry O'Farrell did not have to work hard to win, the other side lost support with the party faithful. Not sure why the party faithful left it so long but the previous election was won by Labor (IMO) on fears about erosion of employee conditions and wages with the federal push for WorkChoices.

Our family also avoids Sydney like the plague. We loved it as kids, it has much to offer and a visit to relatives was always thoroughly enjoyed. Now it is a most unpleasant place to be unless one resides in the leafy north shore or the inner burbs and do not have to venture out too far.

If Barry O'Farrell is successful in his promise to reduce pressure on Sydney's infrastructure by boosting regional NSW that will indeed be a step in the right direction toward fixing some of Sydney's woes.

However whether NSW just voted for another neo-liberal, assett selling government that will be no better than the former is yet to be determined.

We live in hope.

Arjay, I'd be looking to the Money Master and Horns of the Beast for extra reading along with Wizard of OZ, on the face of it.
A state bank?
We have had one in SA for long time, in a mild form.
We have not collapsed into anarchy, for its presence.
But it runs counter to the times. All they are interested in these days in closing out that sort of thing and then trying to lay hands on the rest that's still of value.