Saturday, May 23, 2015

What is Tony Abbott's problem with trains?

Multiple essential public transport projects are required to prevent Australia's state capitals and major cities from becoming congested and economically uncompetitive cities. These projects include:

  • Brisbane's cross river train tunnel (Cross River Rail/BaT Tunnel).
  • Melbourne's Metro Rail Project.
  • Gold Coast Light Rail extensions.
  • Adelaide rail network electrification. 
Unfortunately, Australia's budgie smuggler wearing, misogynist, homophobic prime minister Tony Abbott refuses to fund public transport infrastructure projects from federal funds. This stuck in the 1950s policy, makes Australia look backwards compared to pretty much every other developed country in the world which is now investing in public transport over roads. Whilst road spending is still important, there have been many studies shown that investing in urban road infrastructure does not resolve congestion. 

So why does Tony Abbott have such a hatred for trains?
  • Was it due to their being no Thomas the Tank engine and Friends character being called Tony?
  • Was he teased at school for having a train set instead of a Scalextric?
  • Is he worried that asylum seekers or gays might come into the country via train? 
  • Is he worried that trains could have female drivers?
  • Will the oil companies help fund his retirement?
  • Is it due to lack of income to the LNP from companies involved in public transport?  
  • Or is he just an idiot stuck with 50 years out of date policies?
There is little question that unless Tony Abbott has a policy U-turn on federal funding for public transport, then he will be crippling Australian cities economically and environmentally for decades to come. 

1 comment:

  1. I think you missed the major reason:

    All the leaders of the current Liberal government are "neo-cons" but haven't been called out on it. As such they believe in a small government. That means they believe that governments should be the minimum size, leaving markets to drive almost everything. The "age of entitlement" applies to everyone, companies and the public alike. This affects everything from funding of schools through to public transport (and everything in-between). Neo-cons have a user-pays mentality, which means no free school, no free healthcare and no subsidised... anything.

    They can argue that we are in a financial deficit crisis, but there's no real evidence to support it and we have an economy that is still the envy of the world.

    I say all of this not out of spite, interpretation or regurgitation of commentators, but from personal conversation with a sitting liberal member (backbencher). Obviously they didn't label themselves as neo-con but they discussed this "small government" ideology in detail after bemoaning Obamacare and the flow-on impact it will have on Australia.

    Oh... and name calling doesn't help. Just because the PM doesn't believe in equal rights for one minority doesn't mean he is "homophobic". It means he is prejudicial and discriminatory.

    lol... great blog. you had be laughing most of the way to the GC.

    ReplyDelete

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