We're short one transport minister.

FieldShunt74 · Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 4:00 pm

Watkins quits politics to put family first - SMH.

Shocked

42101 · Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 4:10 pm

SWEET,

now just to get costa and sartor to quit also that would be a huge improvement.
Oh yeah and morri too.

Banned

TE2815 · Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 4:17 pm

Watkins got sick of waiting for Morris Minor to fall on his sword or get shunted out.

I really thought Watkins would be the one lined up to take over.

So who is left now. Reba (what is a hospital) Meagher or Eric (what is a road) Rozendahl Rolling Eyes

.

Sydney_Gunzel · Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 4:17 pm

FieldShunt74 · Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 4:23 pm

Yes, I hit post and it took about 15 minutes to do anything, during which time I lost interest and missed the dud bit of code.

Good luck to Mr Watkins. I wouldn't say he did a great job, but by the standards of this government, I think he was one of the better ministers. At least at the alzheimer's mob, he'll be working for people who have an excuse for being mentally feeble.

alltrainzfan · Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 4:47 pm

I wonder who'll be the replacement? Please let it be someone who'll actually care about rail, not making rail duds.

I agree with 42101 - get rid of Sartor and Costa - big improvement.

I really wonder what will happen to Carmel Tebbutt. She left the front bench to spend more time with her family, but times are changing!

jumboman44211 · Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 5:37 pm

The deckchairs on the TITANIC sure are being shuffled now.

I'm all in favour of progress; it's change I don't like.

GeoffreyHansen · Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 6:47 pm

I thought I heard that Michael Costa was threatening to quit politics over the power sell off.

Bring the 3900s back to Brisbane
Bring Karlsruhe Tramtrains to Australian cities
Extend the proposed Metro to Taylor Square
Extend the Gold Coast line to the Tweed

DHT · Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 8:11 pm

Sigh…I wonder whether there will be anyone left in the NSW Labor Party when the next election rolls around.

[rant]
It is truly bad news when the best that can be said about Watkins’ time as transport minister is that he wasn’t as bad as the last one. At the end of the day Watkins did little but shuffle papers a bit, no new ideas were proposed. For all the hatemongering Costa did come up with ideas and backed them, the rail clearways would not have existed without him and he still is coming up with ideas to boost the public purse and improve public service. Now admittedly, ol Chrome Dome needs to handle the unions much better than he does, and that was his downfall in transport. Watkins was necessary to steady the ship after the turbulence of Costa, but today, the Ministry of Transport is no better than when Costa left, if anything, worse – it is more bloated, there are two new corporations muddling the picture (TIDC and PTTC), investment is still woefully low, the cost of providing services has increased inexplicably, there is nothing to show of the Tcard after almost 10 years, and there are no new capital projects that are likely to be implemented in the near, or even long-term, future. (Note I do not count the NW Rail link since it is no longer funded)

RailCorp is a bloated organisation with everyones finger in the middle, a big knife needs to be taken to white collar staff in Lee St but also efficiency gains need to be made on actual operations. The network needs further simplification, and yes, some inefficient services or personnel need to be removed, only then will RailCorp stop hemmoraging money from the public purse.

The government needs to stop micromanaging day-to-day operations, and get on with the job of setting policy and letting RailCorp or (evil of all evils) the private sector handle the job. Lee St cops a lot of flak but then, we have a bunch of people employed to do a job who are constantly undermined by politicians. Where else in the world do you see politicans campaigning on the stopping patterns of trains? This is insane! No wonder the transport system is dysfunctional.

Labor and the unions need to have a long hard look at themselves. Going loggerheads with each other will clearly not work. Unions need to realise that they don’t represent the majority of interests, but Labor need to realise that unions do represent a sizeable minority, that should have a say in policy. I am a natural centre of left leaning voter who should be easily picked up by Labor but I did not vote for Labor last state election and do not plan to next election either primarily because the party goes from pandering to the unions to antagonistic ineffectivity.

State Labor is clearly devoid of talent at a time when Federal Labor under Rudd seems to have it streaming out of its ears, the only thing saving the State Labor Party at the moment is Barry O’Farrell, who simply has no ideas. Yet a few years ago the reverse was true, all the state premiers were Labor and going strong, including Carr in NSW, while Federal Labor completely hopeless. There simply is not enough good people to go around, Labor needs to cast its net wider than trade union leaders, plenty of socially compassionate people out there are alienated by the current approach.

Summary: Transport needs reform, Watkins was merely perpetuating status quo and that is simply not good enough.

[/rant]

FieldShunt74 · Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 8:46 pm

I'd welcome Costa back to transport, if it got him out of treasury. Or send him back to the cops, they seemed to almost like him. Wink

4426_No_2_end · Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 9:00 pm

tbohlsennswssrg · Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 9:30 pm

4426_No_2_end · Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 9:47 pm

Timothy this is scary....all of us in agreement like this Shocked

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574M · Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 11:36 pm

The other interesting thing is that I suspect we may be up for a new transport minister in Victoria as well. Shocked

Kent_B · Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 12:44 am

Keep your Mexican smeg away from here.. Begone devils Twisted Evil

Who is Kent B?