Leunig's cartoon about the wheel highlights the way the role of the car in changing our cites into roads, freeways and ring roads. The flow of the car is what has driven urban planning

The public transport systems in our capitol cities just don't work well and commuters are becoming fed up with the creaking system. There have been years of under investment in public transport when around 80 to 90 per cent of spending was on roads, despite public transport being seen as a core responsibility of government by citizens. State governments now face a choice between significant public transport and new roads projects —since there is unlikely to be enough money for both.

So far they taken the roads agenda whilst spinning (empty promises) about the lack of priority for public transport despite the majority of low-income constituents, who live mainly in the outer and new growth suburbs, having no choice except to continue to run two or three cars in perpetuity if they want a life. What happens is that the old public transport proposal to the outer suburbs are continually rebadged to show that the state government is a can do government.

In reality developing the suburban rail network doesn't happen. New suburbs are planned without a transport plan. What we have are pretend public transport plans, lots of can do media releases and big advertising campaigns.