Having been around for a while I am aware in times like this ALP members are supposed to roll up in a ball and say nothing.
Power station sell off? no problem but day after day we hear or see more evidence we are in trouble.
What purpose is served by party members just hoping it will all go away?
NSW for so very long has been the driving force behind the national ALP it resembles the rubbish dump of the party right now.
Yet we see no rebuilding of the conservatives?
No new directions no new ideas nothing.
NSW may well be the worst served state in Australian history by both sides of the house.
Without new leadership on both sides of the house now NSW will see the next state government have to contend with more smaller party seats held than ever in our history.
Predictions?
No power sell of in this parliamentary term.
A new team leads the ALP no later than end 2009.
New leader for opposition in same time span.
Liberals win office next state election but not the expected landslide.

State governments have a huge job trying to provide the infrastructure to cope with a growing population. And the problem is Australia wide, with state governments going massively into debt. Queensland, for example, is expected to go about $65 billion into hock for the necessary infrastructure, with interest payments of close to $3.5 billion per year.

And the reason for the population growth? Federal policy. Such a cop out to see the conservatives trumpeting their fiscal responsibility, when all they did was cut services and jacked up immigration, leaving state and local governments the infrastructure nightmare.

Sad to see it continuing under federal Labor. The situation could be changed quickly by cutting immigration and the baby bonus, and by allowing landowners more rights to develop their land. Not a chance of any of this happening.

Dear Belly,

I agree with Fester. We need to ensure that there is the infrastructure in place to sustain our population - Australia wide. We can't just keep adding to it, and not expecting something to collapse...

As far as NSW is concerned they really need to get their act together.
All the scandals, the corruption allegations, haven't done the party much good. They will lose the next election - if they keep going the way they are at present.

Although, having just returned from 'question time' in the House of Reps. in Canberra, and having seen both parties 'in action.' I confess that I don't admire the behaviour of the Libs at all.

All they seem to be capable of doing is attacking and criticizing. But no solutions. I mean heavens, give Kevin Rudd and his team a chance - he's only been in power for a few months, and he seems to be looking at long term solutions,( not the band-aid, knee-jerk, reactions that John Howard would come up with).

I realize when you're in opposition, you're supposed to criticize, but
please, - come up with some answers every now and again - just to let
the public gallery audience know you're not just a bunch of unimaginative bullies.

Hey Belly I know this is not the topic but do you know if Morris is going to go through with the idea of banning all political donations and have elections sponsored by the state?

Let us remember just what I am, a Labor party foot soldier till death.
And as I said it would be long before the federal election Rudd is doing well very well.
My fears and thoughts however are focused on the NSW ALP it is unworthy to overlook the sins of your own party.
I am what I am because I hold hopes of better government from my party truly.
They have let me down, let the state down, Carr is a man of Merritt he did not run away he would not have let me down so badly.
I as some would be aware could be removed from my party for my honestly held views.
But so many in power have removed themselves from the party, over ruled the party by their actions and remain in control.
Iemma may well bring about his reforms in financing the party's, we would be better if he did, but the man must go, he has bought our party to the brink of destruction.
Do not however for a second overlook Foxys words.
She has described the federal and most state Liberals, bitter slandering snipping ,the very policy's that they used and lost the federal election with.
In the middle of a true crisis in NSW with our worst team in my lifetime leading the state no conservative victory is yet assured.
They however will win, without change this ALP government may be forced, [yes I think it] to pay people to man the polling booths.

NSW Labor talks to the opposition but not its own party.
Dela Bosca an opponent of the sale, trying to explain an apparently shameful event to the house.
Costa grinning in the background while he does so.
I remain until death ALP it is not me who brings my party into this mud hole if it is not the worst time in our history it soon will be.