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July 24, 2008
It is a fair judgement to say that the state Labor Governments have been poor long-term planners on major issues such as water, energy and transport.They have been slow in coming to grips with these issues and they have only made a few hesitant steps in addressing the way these issues have been impacted by climate change. If they have plans there there is little by way of outcome, as they are more concerned with governance as administration than the required structural reform.
Spooner
It is mostly business as usual with lots of spin about how great they are in being on top of issues. Meanwhile public transport cannot cope with the extra numbers as people leave their cars behind to get to work; water shortages for critical human needs become ever closer.
The reason?
The long years, beholden to, and obsessed with neo-liberal economics budget surpluses, cost cutting of public services (health and education) no infrastructure investment because that meant debt, and hiding behind the nostrums of the global market.
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Australian politics has a long history of managerial executives. The idealists have been few and far between; and those that did get power, like Whitlam, left a turbulent history. Both the bunyip aristocracy and the democratic multitude prefer the mundane nature of the administerialists it seems. Probably not a bad thing in the long run however it is becoming obvious there are limits to that approach.