Thread: Which Disco owner caused the BrisConnections trading halt?

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

I know it's politics, but as an outsider the lack of a second house in the Qld parliament is a problem. It may be efficient pushing things through when the Government has the majority. But once through there is no one else checking if it really is in the best interests of the whole state.

I fully expect others to have a different view.

It means more useless corrupt politicians. Our Senate is a house of obstruction, not a house of review and has been described as the best club in Australia and as an unrepresentative swill. Also, Lotza, have a look at the gun nuts, bible bashers, professional lunchers, and general loopies that form much of the NSW second house.

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

I know it's politics, but as an outsider the lack of a second house in the Qld parliament is a problem. It may be efficient pushing things through when the Government has the majority. But once through there is no one else checking if it really is in the best interests of the whole state.

I fully expect others to have a different view.

I agree with you (and I was born in QLD and have lived most of my life there).

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

It means more useless corrupt politicians. Our Senate is a house of obstruction, not a house of review and has been described as the best club in Australia and as an unrepresentative swill. Also, Lotza, have a look at the gun nuts, bible bashers, professional lunchers, and general loopies that form much of the NSW second house.

You're always going to have corrupt politicians.

I voted for the gun nuts, a lot better than the wakko greens.

IMHO there is a problem with the modified counting process of both the Federal Senate and the NSW Legislative Council, which favours the large parties. It should be a preferential counting with the lowest votes in each count being excluded and the votes distributed. Then count again.

As it is as soon as a candidate from a big party gets a particular number of votes they're in and the rest of the votes go to the next on the list. This means that candidates from smaller parties with higher primary vote counts don't get elected because of the cascading of votes in the big parties. As happened with the second Shooters and Fishers candidate at the last state election.

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

It means more useless corrupt politicians. Our Senate is a house of obstruction, not a house of review and has been described as the best club in Australia and as an unrepresentative swill. Also, Lotza, have a look at the gun nuts, bible bashers, professional lunchers, and general loopies that form much of the NSW second house.

The Senate at least is almost always a more accurate reflection of the voting pattern than is the House of Representatives. This is because it effectively has multi-member electorates (the whole state). Despite the fact that the states are so unequal in population, and the fact that only half the Senate is elected at a time, the multimember electorates mean the Senate usually represents voter intentions quite accurately - even down to the "gun nuts, bible bashers, professional lunchers, and general loopies" that garner sufficient votes. Blame the people who vote for them, not the politicians!

John

In my years of business, spent in the coach trade, I don't think I have ever seen or even heard of anyone applying for a loan from a bank or otherwise, putting forward an accurate principal return projection. Even the bank will tell you to ask for twice what you think you will need.
If you need $50 dollars and tell the bank the item you want to buy is worth at least $1000 but the return investment projection is such that it will pay itself back in one year, of course you will get the loan. If you were honest and told them the item was actually worth $25.00 and the rest is for ice creams and you didn't really think it would ever pay for itself, would you get the loan? Of course not.
Every large resort, civil project or the likes of such has been the same.
Remember the Storey bridge in Brisbane with its 3d toll (9d for a bus), the Bribie Island bridge toll, the Brighton Redcliffe causeway toll. Nothing new! Forget the Politicians name, the only reason we have to have politicians is so that we have someone to blame when we can't see any return immediately.
I Feel better now.
Regards
Glen

Originally Posted by Saitch

People can whine all they like but, for me, the Clem 7 is great. I mean c'mon...15 mins from the P.A. to Stafford Rd & then 25-35 mins to home at Dayboro. Worth $5 in fuel probably! In saying this I probably only use it 1/2 dozen times a year.

Why would you pay two tolls, total $6.17, to go from the PA to Stafford Rd to save a couple of minutes? Try getting on the freeway in Cornwall St two blocks from the PA, Inner City Bypass to Abbotsford, then Hudson & Kedron Park Roads and you are at Stafford Road. Four or five traffic lights. Alternatively off the ICB at Kelvin Grove Road, then to South Pine Road and Shand St. and you are near the other end of Stafford Road.

All I know is, I can go from Gawler in the north, to Willunga in the south, a distance of about 80km, go thru the heart of the city, if I want, and not pay anything in tolls...

If I by-pass the city, I will save about 15 mins, and still not pay anything in tolls...

The closest thing we have here is the old Toll Gate at the bottom of the freeway. The only toll that one collects these days, is when you are still doing 20 km/h over the limit, and the guy on the motorbike points his hair dryer at you...

Tollways are just a way for governments to push the cost of roadworks onto someone else, while taking the credit for the project going ahead. The projections are always inflated to justify getting the finance. Then, when the original company falls over, the asset gets sold to someone else at a much lower value and hopefully can then be profitable at the lower cost. Meanwhile the original investors have done much of their money. In this case, the Queensland Government's Investment Corporation (thats the taxpayers) owns 8% of BrisConnections, so that money will be toasted.
Newman has left the Brisbane City Council with inflated debts, and the investors have done most of their money, but he's walked away unscathed - so far.