Dumping airport rail would be very disappointing, I think there would be political consequences. Surely there are other areas to cut. The timing of airport rail construction was part of a long term plan to absorb the workforce once other major projects finish up. If that workforce is left to drift away it’s going to take a lot of time and money to rebuild it.
How can it possibly be unviable? The freeway can’t be widened further, and is very crowded, there is clearly demand. And the project is mostly upgrading existing infrastructure and built on crown land.
I’d suspect it’ll be deferred for a set period of time rather than permanently placed on hold as has been done for infrastructure projects in a number of states where costs / availability of labour etc have spiraled due to current market conditions.
They really need to get cracking on Airport Rail though, it’s at a stage where it’s an embarrassment that Melbourne doesn’t have it.
So Mark Speakman has been elected as the new Liberal Party leader in NSW.
He is a Cronulla MP and also a Sharks supporter.
Just like ScoMo! (so also has good taste in footy teams ).
Hopefully for the Libs sake, he is a better leader.
Controversial MP Moira Deeming has been expelled from the Victorian Liberal party room, while her ally Renee Heath has been sanctioned.
Nepean MP Sam Groth has confirmed Deeming’s colleagues voted to expel her during a party room meeting on Friday morning, meaning she will have to serve the remaining three-and-a-half years of her term on the crossbench in the upper house of the Victorian parliament. Groth told reporters:
I think it’s a real chance to draw a line in the sand for the party now. We’ve a meeting, we’re going to move forward.
We’re going to get behind John [Pesutto], and I think it’s a chance for us now, as I’ve said, right from the start of this whole drama – it’s time for the Liberal Party to start being a viable option … it’s time to [unite] together behind John to do and do what is best for the state.
Guardian Australia understands the party voted 19-11 to expel Deeming and to remove Heath.
Meanwhile the Tasmanian Liberal government is now in minority after two backbenchers quit the party this morning and are now seeing out their terms as independents. Bass MHA Lara Alexander and Lyons MHA John Tucker have quit in protest of the AFL stadium proposed for Hobart.
I think Premier Rockliff is due to give a presser at 1pm about things but that was quite a bombshell this morning.
This is the type of budget Jim Chalmers should have done federally. It will be interesting to see if inflation drops in Vic compared to the other states.
A good time to not be lead by liberals, they would have followed in Kennett’s footsteps and sold assets, jeopardised the states long term future to raise a quick buck to pay down debt.
Getting big business, property investors and private schools to fund it is much better.
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