<snip>
> > Queensland would receive even greater benefits by
> > privatising the railways and abolishing the Minister of
> > Railways..........
>
> No, It just shows you what can be done with a Government owned railway
> when the pollies are commited to rail.
Well, I am totally cynical about politicians' commitments.
How much pork barrel and corruption was involved in the
letting of these contracts? Were the tenders opened
publicly? Did the best contractors receive the work, or was
a "buy Queensland" criterion applied as an overriding
consideration? Has QR got the cost numbers right in a truly
commercial fashion? Or has it done its own gold-plated
designs and put a few "nice" features in? And added 20% to
the number to be built in case the government knocks them
back a bit?
I stick with my view that there is no reason whatsoever why
the Queensland Government needs to be running a railway on
behalf of citizens in these times.