White elephants are the only sort of result to be expected from Socialist governments; and Australians need to recognise that Socialist governments are all we have had since John Howard, 30 years ago; yes, the Coalition too.

A few minutes ago I read an article suggesting that the current Socialist government is deliberately wrecking Australia to ‘prove’ to the unthinking herd that more government is their only hope. That might sound fantastic to the majority, but they just need to think about what is going on - replacement of the population; high cost of living; fuel shortages due to the deliberate policy of just-in-time stores; loss of manufacturing; climate scaremongering and some of the highest electricity prices in the world; breakdown of law and order; red tape, restrictions on private enterprise - all of the things that have historically led to complete government control.

The only thing now is for Australia to hit rock bottom, at which time Australians MIGHT wake up to what they have allowed to happen. They MIGHT even do something about it.

If it was left to people like the author and ttbn, conservative do nothing people, then we would all be riding around in horse and carts on dirt roads, with candles for light. History shows every Labor infrastructure and social reform project is opposed by the do nothing conservative club, always whaling, its too costly, its not needed.

So Paul, do you really think Snowy 2.0 is value at $40bn? What about the VFT at $90bn for the Newcastle to Sydney bit and maybe a trillion dollars for an entire Brisbane to Melbourne line? How much of your own money would you be prepared to "invest"?

Common sense needs to apply to public investments and the taxpayer is entitled to value for money. Both sides of politics are guilty of pushing projects that they know don't stack up.

Hi Bren,

I'm not arguing about value for taxpayer dollars, scare campaigns and exaggerations are an excuse to do nothing.

I see you didn't mention the $600 billion to a trillion dollars, we can all make up numbers, Australia will pay for nuk subs which may never materialise, all on the never never plan. Besides what use will they be? If we spend a trillion dollars on a rail line, which is not even proposed at this stage, at least at the end of the day we've got a rail line. With the nuk subs we may end up with a trillion dollars worth of empty ocean.

My point being the conservatives are always negative about government infrastructure and social investment, too expensive, not needed, that's what they said about the SYDNEY HARBOUR BRIDGE and countless other Labor projects in the past. In my life time the conservatives opposed 'Medibank' 50 years ago, too expensive, heath care should all be user pay, face lifts for those who can afford, over heart operations for those who couldn't. The scare campaign, they even claimed people would be treated by blood soaked "butchers" in the public heath system. That's the mentality of the do nothing club members.

For the uneducated, who think governments operate like a private individual with his credit card when it comes to finance.

The Morrison government and covid, the uneducated think the government went down to Cash Converters or some such place and hocked the family jewels for billions of loan money to fund its programs like 'Jobkeeper'. No not so, the government actually borrowed the money off itself. How did it do that, you might ask. To raise the money it needed, the Government sold bonds (which are promises to repay and pay interest) to traders, which its wholly-owned Reserve Bank then bought, using money it had created. The Government could have just as easily cut out the traders and borrowed directly from its wholly-owned Reserve Bank, using money the bank had created — effectively borrowing from itself. But the Reserve Bank preferred the appearance of arms-length transactions.

The American government has only been in deficit for 4 of the past 50, in the other 46 years it has effectively borrowed from itself, to fund all sorts of things, including wars, the Australian government does the same, but on a smaller scale.

I just can't shake the impression that no matter what Government is in power although the Conservatives do manage a smidgeon more efficiently, that the main reason for Australia being stuck at the starting line but not hearing the starting gun is due to everyday citizens & permanent residents. There is a culture of money above all & everything & I mean the quick Buck mentality. No waiting for catching up before demanding dividends. No patience to focus on service & or quality of service, no, just money ! We all need money & we all could do with more but people are not willing to put up the effort. Those who do have the get up & go get persecuted & taxed to high heaven & get called unsavoury names. i.e the tall poppy syndrome is thriving rather than succumbing to decency.
One lot walks away with half of what belongs to others & they believe they're good citizens. I still believe that it is the excruciating lack of discipline, respect & the wilful abandoning of decency could be countered by reintroduction of a National Service. History has not produced any other proof in that regard !