For those who don’t know, Newman is an engineer. The people who are obtaining the bulk of work for the current BCC are… engineers! See a connection? It would be more than interesting to know the connections between Newman and the ‘winners’ of the contracts to build all the tunnels in this city of ours.

Oh well, at least we’ll have somewhere to shelter our horses and pushbikes from the rain when the fuel runs out… oh that’s right, it doesn’t rain much here anyway! Perhaps we can use them as underground storage tanks for storm water run-off then?

That might be true in NSW narcisist, but you have to understand that the State of QLD has a completely different system. Firstly, they don't have an upper house. This really pisses off the Greens, as they have never managed to get a foothold in QLD in the upper house to expose some of this sleaze. Secondly, councils have more responsibilies in QLD than in other states. That is why the City of Brisbane, in a way, is the largest city in Australia, once the largest in the world, in terms of sprawl rather than population.

Brisbane City Council does run a bus service, and they do have more powers over planning in the State of QLD. So in a way, the arguement that "Can or can't do Newman", as the Liberal Mayor, is responsible, is partly true.

Even in Sydney, Independent Lord Mayor Clover Moore has to take some responsibility in her part in traffic funneling, cooperating in the plan to close at least 4 different major arteries.

To ALP NSW Premier Morris Iemma's credit, he has ended some of the traffic funneling, re-opened some of the roads that should never have been closed, admitted a dreadful mistake, but now the State of NSW has a multi million dollar legal challenge from the Company, mainly funded by the Maquarie Bank, against the people of NSW. Lets not mince words here. The corporations are just as wicked against the people here as the governments. Boycott the Maquarie Bank is you believe in a fair deal. If you wan't to punnish Premier Beattie, fine, but there are other alternatives other than the coalition who might listen more, tell less lies, and expose more scandals.

I wholeheartedly agree with Tristan - and I'm ALSO worried about my super funds disappearing into this deep black hole. In fact, I'm just about to email the Queensland Investment Corporation again, re their gross arrogance in ignoring my legitimate questions (19th May 2006), on just this point (my phone call to them last week, as a reminder, still hasn't moved them). I'm a member of Q Super:-

www.kimspages.org/qsuperletter.htm

In fact ANYONE in a super fund should be worried about this, as these very pointed warnings from ASPO Australia show:-

Extracts

"Monday, 17 April 2006
Will your Super be risked in the Tunnel?"

"Ever-increasing oil prices will mean serious risk for investments in the Brisbane North-South Bypass Tunnel."

"Superannuation fund managers who do not closely assess the risks that Peak Oil will bring will have more than retirees' incomes at stake. ASPO-Australia will be approaching regulatory authorities to increase the level of oversight of high-risk investment options like the Brisbane tunnel."

Full piece by Bruce Robinson here:-

http://www.aspo-australia.org.au/content/view/100/1/

Just who do they think is going to use this tunnel for $4.10 a pop? I know I certainly won't - why would I pay $8.20 to go from Woolloongabba to Bowen Hills and back? In Sydney they had to close off streets to shoehorn drivers into their tunnel, and people still boycotted it on principle. Why would they want to enrich Hong Kong's richest tycoon, the owner, any further? It will be a matter of honour for me not to use the tunnel.

When it is finished I urge other Brisbane drivers to participate in a mother-of-all boycotts of this outrageously expensive toll tunnel. Let it become an costly white elephant that they ever regret was built. Sydney has shown that boycotts work, let's gear up for one in Brisbane.

What amazes me is that a huge scheme like this can be started without any real public scrutiny.

Most important are the various assumptions which formed the basis of the favourable feasibilty decision. For example actual traffic estimates based on various fuel cost scenarios.

I sought this type of information from the State Government re, the new Gateway bridge and was given the same answer as BCC is giving now, namely confidential because of PPE.

Thus the Public have to trust the elected officials. My experience of many senior Council officials, elected and unelected, is that mostly they cannot be trusted. They will lie when it suits them or go to extreme lengths to obfuscate and manipulate the truth.

Tristan, I support you 100% in yor request to BCC, but what can be done to get the information and public scrutiny?

Before the last Council Election didn't C Newman say he would resign, if the toll for The North South Tunnel that was force on the Brisbane Community by the previous Labor Lord Mayor goes up?

So with the tunnel cost to the community going up all the time, it is not if C Newman will resign but when.

PS I didn't vote for C Newman as Mayor, so I wouldn't waste my time calling him Mayor.