The Essential Research poll series continues to chug along on its fortnightly schedule without offering anything on voting intention, with this week’s survey mainly relating to bushfires and climate change. Support for the proposition that Australia is not doing enough to address climate change have reached a new high of 60%, up nine since March, with “doing enough” down five to 22% and “doing too much” down three to 8%.
However, perceptions of climate change itself are little changed, with 61% attributing it to human activity (down one) and 28% opting for “a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate”. On the debate as to whether it was appropriate to raise links between climate change and bushfires, opinion was evenly divided – out of those who considered such a link likely, 43% felt raising the matter appropriate compared with 17% for inappropriate, while another 30% rated the link as unlikely.
A further question related to the issue of medical evacuations for asylum seekers, and here the situation is murkier due to the need to provide respondents with some sort of explanation of what the issue is about. As the Essential survey put it, the relevant legislation allows “doctors, not politicians, more say in determining the appropriate medical
treatment offered to people in offshore detention”. Put like that, 62% were opposed to the government’s move to repeal it, including 25% who believed the legislation didn’t go far enough. That left only 22% in favour of the pro-government proposition that “legislation will weaken our borders and result in boats arriving”.
The poll was conducted Thursday to Sunday from a sample of 1083.
[Sydney and Melbourne now have worse traffic congestion than New York and Toronto. This congestion is but one symptom of an infrastructure shortfall caused by Australia’s rapid population growth, fuelled by very high levels of immigration since the beginning of this century.
If these trends continue towards a ‘Big Australia’, living standards for existing residents will continue to decline as people are forced into smaller, more expensive and lower-quality housing, endure worsening traffic congestion, pay more to access basic infrastructure and services, and have less access to public services and green space.
Our political leaders are claiming that these problems can be managed by decentralisation, better planning and more investment. This paper disagrees with those propositions.]
http://population.org.au/publications/discussion-papers/infrastructure
[The nation’s economic elite – politicians of all colours, businesspeople and economists – long ago decided we need to grow our population as fast as we can. To them, their reasons for believing this are so blindingly obvious they don’t need to be discussed.
Unfortunately, however, it’s doubtful most ordinary Australians agree. A survey last year by researchers at the Australian National University found that more than 69 per cent of respondents felt we didn’t need more people, well up on a similar poll in 2010.]
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/high-immigration-is-changing-the-aussie-way-of-life-20191126-p53e5e.html
Cud Chewersays:
Tuesday, November 26, 2019 at 10:59 pm
Its the far-canal effect?
🙂
Will Angus Taylor hang on? Reckon Morrison will stick by him
“There go the people. I must follow them, for I am their leader.”
Attributed to Alexandre Auguste Ledru-Rollin, a leader of the French Revolution in 1848 (but probably apocryphal).
It’s generally regarded to be a truism, but why not now?
Polling has shown that, to varying degrees, over the past twenty years, Australians have believed our climate is changing, and we are causing it.
Our political leaders would have had little trouble leading us through the changes required to reduce emissions, had both major parties agreed.
But one side has been captured by the fossil fuel industry, and with Rupert Murdoch as their chief propagandist they have been able to buy enough votes in the past 3 elections to sustain their power.
The arguments are causing fractures in our society.
It’s no good blaming voters for being ill-informed, self-interested or just plain stupid. They are what they are.
The good news is the people still support the Medevac legislation, which may mean enough senators will support it too.
Good Morning
Zoomster
Yesterday you asked what is wrong with property developers?
I will give you a gold encrusted example. President Donald Trump.
@Snowden tweets
A journalist (@drzax) monitored their devices and found 72% of traffic was tracking-related, with 46 different servers contacted on the second night while they slept. Averaged across a week, how frequently were their devices transmitting? Answer in link: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-16/datalife-i-spied-on-my-phone-and-here-is-what-i-found/10496450
Good morning Dawn Patrollers. For AFR articles the only way to see them is to very quickly hit the “X” on the refresh button as soon as the article appears.
The money-laundering scandal engulfing the nation’s oldest bank has sparked calls for the pair to front a parliamentary inquiry to explain how the crisis occurred.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/westpac-purge-labor-seeks-to-recall-ceo-and-chairman-to-explain-crisis-20191126-p53e8n.html
Elizabeth Knight tells us how it was shareholders that called Westpac’s bluff and pushed out the chairman and CEO.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/angry-shareholders-ignored-westpac-s-bluff-and-raised-the-stakes-20191126-p53ea9.html
Adele Ferguson fingers the fateful mistake that Westpac’s outgoing CEO and chairman made.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/the-fateful-mistake-that-westpac-s-outgoing-ceo-and-chairman-made-20191126-p53e9l.html
And the AFR reports that Westpac removed the compliance officer who first reported the serious breach.
https://www.afr.com/companies/financial-services/westpac-removed-compliance-officer-who-reported-breach-20191125-p53dqd
Katharine Murphy declares that Angus Taylor should stand aside as minister because it’s the right thing to do.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/nov/26/angus-taylor-should-stand-aside-as-minister-because-its-the-right-thing-to-do
Michelle Grattan on Morrison’s staunch defence of Taylor.
https://theconversation.com/scott-morrison-stands-by-energy-minister-angus-taylor-who-faces-police-probe-127818
Michael Pascoe writes that in a one-two punch for hopes of improved living standards, RBA governor Philip Lowe effectively ruled out radical monetary policy stimulus on Tuesday night, leaving the task of reviving the economy to the federal government – which has pledged to prefer a budget surplus instead.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/money/finance-news/2019/11/26/wages-strike-capital-rba-stagnant/
Ross Gittins is back from a break and explains how high immigration is changing the Aussie way of life.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/high-immigration-is-changing-the-aussie-way-of-life-20191126-p53e5e.html
David Papps and Jamie Pittock, members of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists, rips the threat of John Barilaro for NSW to pull out of the MDB agreement to shreds.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/short-sighted-politics-threatens-untold-damage-to-nsw-communities-20191126-p53e7g.html
Shane Wright reports that today Frydenberg will announce the big four banks will each sink $100 million into a special fund to give SMEs a financial leg-up.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/big-banks-to-pump-100-million-each-into-business-growth-fund-20191126-p53ef1.html
Victorian Deputy Premier James Merlino was one of six Labor MPs – and one Labor candidate – who received donations ahead of the 2018 state election from controversial property developer John Woodman, putting fresh scrutiny on the state government’s links to the Casey land deals scandal. Oh dear!
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/ibac-casey-hearings-kingmaker-developer-boasts-he-appointed-council-s-new-ceo-20191126-p53e6q.html
The prime minister thinks his success has changed Australians. It hasn’t, and he sticks with that belief to his political peril writes Peter Lewis.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/commentisfree/2019/nov/26/scott-morrison-is-no-paul-keating-but-he-risks-a-similar-fate-in-2022-if-hes-not-careful
Anna Patty details how the Federal Court has ordered the unions watchdog to quash its investigation into the Australian Workers Union and return all documents it seized during controversial federal police raids in 2017. The ROC will appeal the decision.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/illegal-pursuit-federal-court-quashes-awu-investigation-20191126-p53e6z.html
Labor has called for tougher laws on political donations to respond to a furore over foreign interference in Australian politics reports David Crowe. It wants a lower reporting limit of $1000 and reports to be online within seven days.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/labor-pushing-to-make-political-parties-disclose-donations-over-1000-20191126-p53edm.html
Of course the Liberal Party is pushing back against real-time donations disclosure.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6512005/liberal-party-pushes-back-against-real-time-donations-disclosure/?cs=14329
Sarah Martin reports that a government push to expand the cashless welfare card faces a Senate roadblock, with key crossbenchers saying they will not consider supporting the legislation until they have completed a “fact finding mission” over summer.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/nov/27/coalition-push-to-expand-cashless-welfare-card-faces-senate-roadblock
Sally Whyte tells us how Services Australia has revealed that over the three years the online compliance system has been in place, 9149 people with vulnerability indicators in their files had debts raised against them and of those, only 288 people had their debts waived and only $86,000 worth of the debts were waived.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6513244/vulnerable-people-hit-with-154m-in-robodebts/?cs=14264&utm_source=website&utm_medium=home&utm_campaign=latestnews
The Victorian state government’s tough talk is scaring off builders from reporting dangerous buildings, the Master Builders Association says.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/victorian-builders-call-for-cladding-amnesty-as-danger-list-grows-to-1200-20191125-p53dzp.html
Fergus Hunter reports that the National Broadband Network is cutting wholesale prices and moving to boost internet speeds in a bid to address ongoing concerns about the cost and quality of the network.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/nbn-offers-lower-prices-faster-speeds-amid-pressure-from-retailers-and-customers-20191126-p53e64.html
But Isabelle Lane says these cuts will be useless unless retailers pass them on.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/life/tech/2019/11/26/nbn-co-speed-tiers/
SunRice is cutting 100 manufacturing jobs in rice mills in the drought-hit southern Riverina towns of Deniliquin and Leeton and the grower-run company says much of the economic pain can be blamed on the impact of water policies and farmers’ own behaviour.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/murray-darling-water-woes-strip-another-100-jobs-from-drought-hit-rice-towns-20191126-p53e9k.html
The banks have virtually stopped lending to farmers, writes cattleman and veteran columnist for The Land newspaper John Carter. As the provision of credit is an essential service, there needs to be a rethink in the role of the Reserve Bank in society and the cherished position of the banking oligopoly.
https://www.michaelwest.com.au/calls-for-reserve-bank-as-peoples-bank-as-farm-credit-dries-up/
Countries need to begin making steep cuts to their greenhouse gas emissions immediately or risk missing the targets they’ve agreed for limiting global warming, with potentially dire consequences, senior United Nations officials say.
https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/un-says-drastic-action-is-only-way-to-avoid-worst-effects-of-climate-change-20191127-p53efd.html
Fran Kelly’s recent interview with Josh Frydenberg completely failed to challenge the Treasurer on critical issues. Alan Austin has simmered down just enough to file this report.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/kelly-frydenberg-love-in-dupes-viewers,13350
As bushfires intensify, we need to acknowledge the strain on our volunteers writes researcher Blythe McLennan.
https://theconversation.com/as-bushfires-intensify-we-need-to-acknowledge-the-strain-on-our-volunteers-127517
Dennis Altman tells us how the Prince Andrew fiasco raises bigger issues about the royals.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/prince-andrew-fiasco-raises-bigger-issues-about-the-royals-20191126-p53e9n.html
The SMH editorial complains that paramedics have a difficult enough job without being forced to work many hours of overtime and calls on the NSW to take action to ease this pressure.
https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/nsw-health-must-ease-pressure-on-overworked-paramedics-20191126-p53ecq.html
The Canberra Times declares that the government’s first bankable response to the interim report of the aged care Royal Commission, is still well short of being a cure.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6510662/recurrent-aged-care-funding-needed/?cs=14258
Former disability discrimination commissioner Graeme Innes writes that employing people with disability is good business.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/employing-people-with-disability-is-good-business-20191122-p53d4t.html
The Washington Post explains that a key reason Donald Trump’s presidency has been so damaging is that he has a way of corrupting all the people and institutions he comes in contact with, infecting them with his virus. No one remains untouched it says.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/how-the-navy-chief-s-firing-illustrates-trump-s-most-corrupt-impulses-20191126-p53e6l.html
Cartoon Corner
David Rowe with a big day at Westpac.
David Pope on Robodebt.
From Michael Leung.
Cathy Wilcox at Westpac.
Andrew Dyson on population growth.
John Shakespeare on Hartzer’s “painful” exit.
From Matt Golding
Fiona Katauskas on the aspirations of the young.
Peter Broelman in federal parliament.
Zanetti on Chinese influence.
Lovely work from Alan Moir.
Johannes Leak digs deep into the stereotypes bin.
https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/974210a3d815f7c2bd33b42c5b2c655a?width=1024
From the US
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/26/yes-electric-vehicles-really-are-better-than-fossil-fuel-burners
I see Serkan Ozturk has been pointing his slanderous gaze on Big Angus..
https://truecrimenewsweekly.com/angus-taylor-forgery-revelations-senior-media-adviser-old-family-friend-alleged-to-have-okayed-fake-document-to-attack-clover-moore-and-minister-knows-all-about-it/
Scout @ #3 Wednesday, November 27th, 2019 – 6:57 am
For sure. Morrison has shown his hand – applauded him in the house and rung up the cops and declared nothing to see here. NSW Police will hasten slowly. Taylor’s constituents will be loving every minute of it; they have a special hate for people like Clover Moore.
yep Itzadream…..imagine if the roles were reversed and it was Clover Moore / or a Labor Minister who is accusssed of doctoring documents. Newscorp etc would be calling for blood
Very depressing that once again voters are out ahead of the govt on a critical issue of national and international importance. Why is this govt so out of touch with the public?
Ta. I do get all tittilated when they name names. Oooo.
The Kings School. I had a passing chat with one of their old teachers. Nothing to report, except nothing comes as a surprise.
This opened for me.
https://www.afr.com/companies/financial-services/westpac-removed-compliance-officer-who-reported-breach-20191125-p53dqd
This one seems to have escaped BK’s net, so I have brought it over from the previous thread:
Quasar (AnonBlock)
Wednesday, November 27th, 2019 – 5:23 am
Comment #967
Gladys Lui at work…
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-14/gladys-liu-was-part-of-calls-to-ease-of-foreign-investment-laws/11511500/
Thanks, Quasar, for the pick-up. Pressure needs to keep being applied to Ms Liu.
Scout @ #11 Wednesday, November 27th, 2019 – 7:30 am
And if it occurred in America, under President Obama, while he was wearing a tan suit, the Murdoch organs over there would be demanding he be impeached. 😐
Trump at the annual WH pardoning of the turkeys for thanksgiving not understanding (or choosing not to) that many will see the joke as being on him.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/impeachment-inquiry-live-updates/2019/11/26/08cd4aba-1038-11ea-9cd7-a1becbc82f5e_story.html
Just so we know what the Gladys Liu story is about:
Funny how the FIRB are now approving a lot of Chinese mega-investments in Australia and anyone who questions it are being called racists and xenophobes?
I’ve seen a couple of references to Obama’s tan suit. Basically, it was held to be un-Presidentual. I don’t recall the issue from 5 years ago, possibly because I don’t read or watch the outlets where this sort of thing would get a big run.
“While the controversy itself was trivial, it became notable in the context of Obama’s presidency because such a trivial matter could spark such intense criticism. The scandal particularly contrasted with the presidency of Donald Trump that followed,[6][8] and became a metaphor for the different standards to which Obama and Trump were held.”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obama_tan_suit_controversy
It was a small example of the Noise Machine in action – maybe a practice run. The Noise Machine which cranked up into full gear for Sam Dastyari but not Gladys Liu, for Peter Slipper but not Angus Taylor.
He also was criticised for saluting officers with a coffee in his hand after exiting his plane. That wasn’t just regarded as un-presidential, but disrespectful to the military and the top brass and the noise machine and Republicans carried on about it for yonks. Footage later emerged of George W Bush saluting officers around cuddling his dog, but that wasn’t regarded as the Commander in Chief faux pas Obama committed with his coffee!
It was a small example of the Noise Machine in action – maybe a practice run. The Noise Machine which cranked up into full gear for Sam Dastyari but not Gladys Liu, for Peter Slipper but not Angus Taylor.
And I’m seeing another similarity between the Morrison government and the Trump Administration. Obvious crimes are being explained away by the best that the Murdoch media machine has to offer. Crimes that the exact same Murdoch megaphones would bring the House down over if they were committed by a member of the opposite political persuasion.
ItzaDream @ #16 Wednesday, November 27th, 2019 – 7:44 am
TKS: “No names – no pack drills” is the phrase that haunted my time at the old Kid’s Hospital.
C@t
And the same is happening in the UK with Boris Johnson and his supporters.
Until Trump and his cronies are gone, this is going to continue unabated.
It is a very disconcerting time in our history.
Lizzie,
There is something very smelly about this Westpac money laundering saga.
On Phillip Adams’ LNL ( Monday ) it was disclosed that Westpac chose to not use the Swift money transfer s/w used by other banks, and developed its own.
Trouble is, the Westpac s/w lacks all the important tracking fields needed to flag money laundering; fields that ARE in the Swift system.
https://www.swift.com
Funny that Westpac would do this.
It’s almost as if they wanted to be kept in the dark. Perish the thought.
It’s pretty obvious that Giuliani is up to his neck in Trump’s cronyism and corruption. It’s unfathomable that he was once warmly regarded almost universally as ‘America’s Mayor’. What happened?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/a-wealthy-venezuelan-hosted-giuliani-as-he-pursued-ukraine-campaign-then-giuliani-lobbied-the-justice-department-on-his-behalf/2019/11/26/272105a2-0ec5-11ea-b0fc-62cc38411ebb_story.html
Victoria @ #23 Wednesday, November 27th, 2019 – 8:25 am
Exactly. If you are supported by Murdoch you end up running the country.
REVEALED: OMB first took official action to withhold Ukraine aid just hours after Trump’s ‘perfect’ call
Newly revealed documents show that the Office of Management and Budget took its first official action to withhold military aid from Ukraine just hours after President Donald Trump had his supposedly “perfect” phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky……the same day that Trump infamously asked Zelensky to do him a “favor” by launching investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden.
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/11/revealed-omb-first-took-official-action-to-withhold-ukraine-aid-just-hours-after-trumps-perfect-call/
What do they mean by ‘intimately involved’?
Are they hinting that Taylor has been breaking The Beetrooter Staff Porking Law?
In a fight between Giuliani and Trump, who would come out on top? Giuliani is already throwing punches at Trump, intimating that he has some pretty dirty dirt on him. Probably from his time as Mayor of New York City.
Jerry Nadler Tells Trump To Stop Complaining And Show Up At Impeachment Hearing
House Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) told Trump to stop complaining and show up at the impeachment hearing on December 4.
Nadler said in a statement provided to PoliticusUSA announcing the Judiciary Committee impeachment hearing:
Our first task is to explore the framework put in place to respond to serious allegations of impeachable misconduct like those against President Trump. At base, the President has a choice to make: he can take this opportunity to be represented in the impeachment hearings, or he can stop complaining about the process. I hope that he chooses to participate in the inquiry, directly or through counsel, as other Presidents have done before him.
https://www.politicususa.com/2019/11/26/nadler-trump-impeachment-hearing.html
Victoria @ #23 Wednesday, November 27th, 2019 – 8:25 am
Trump is the key. When he goes Morrison, Johnson , Bolsonaro et al will become stranded ‘assets’.
REVEALED: OMB first took official action to withhold Ukraine aid just hours after Trump’s ‘perfect’ call
Yes, but now the Trumpists are attempting to gull the American people into believing that it’s all okay to do it, it’s just a tactic Trump used to get Ukraine to investigate its ‘corruption’. And it appears from polls taken recently, that the American public are increasingly agreeing with this construct.
Taylor?
Plausible deniability ain’t what it used to be.
Bellwether @ #31 Wednesday, November 27th, 2019 – 8:35 am
So Trump is busy working out the succession plan that sees Don Jr. take over after he is gone.
C@t
Yep. That is the common denominator, but dont forget how helpful Facebook has been in effective targeting of disinformation.
Mark Zuckerberg is a very bad actor in this shit show as well.
C@tmomma @ #29 Wednesday, November 27th, 2019 – 5:32 am
Trump would win, no question. He has the office of president, the US govt, Fox News and the GOP base at his disposal.
Bellwether
Morrison has another two years and a half years with the likelihood of winning the next election to go with it.
Johnson is about to get a four year term with an absolute majority.
Bolsonaro has another three years.
Good to see Albanese Labor has adopted The Greens amendments to donations laws that Shorten Labor and the Coalition voted down last year.
November 2018:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-15/labor-and-coalition-reject-changes-to-political-donation-laws/10502660/
We are truly living in bizarro world…….
Rick Wilson Retweeted
Daniel Lippman
@dlippman
·
41m
SCOOPLET — “Anonymous,“ the senior Trump administration official, will make a public appearance of sorts tonight by hosting a Reddit AMA at 7 pm, according to a person close to the author.
‘Anonymous’ to answer public questions — anonymously
The mysterious author of the famous op-ed and new book will answer questions for the first time in a Reddit AMA.
politico.com
C@tmomma says: Wednesday, November 27, 2019 at 8:32 am
In a fight between Giuliani and Trump, who would come out on top? Giuliani is already throwing punches at Trump, intimating that he has some pretty dirty dirt on him. Probably from his time as Mayor of New York City.
***********************************************************
Hopefully the old cold war MAD – Mutual Assured Destruction – would happen – but I agree with Confessions that Trump has more inbuilt protection – but if they can drag people like Cohen, Bolton, Pecker, Weisselberg etc to be questioned under oath and they spill on what they did to protect Trump it may just be enough affect Trumps health enough think about cutting a deal …..
From yesterday.
https://theconversation.com/145-years-after-jules-verne-dreamed-up-a-hydrogen-future-it-has-arrived-127701
Note. No coal in sight.
Hartzers attitude doesnt surprise me. I have known the odd CEO of large companies. One that comes to mind was generally not bad, well respected both in the company and in the community. And an arrogant piece of work. During a downturn in the economy, when he was a mere regional group leader, he held a prexmas staff meeting and announced that as times were tough the company was going to shutdown for 4 weeks over xmas. Everyone was to take leave. A senior staff member asked ‘what if you dont have enough leave’. Instead of saying that he understood this would be hard for some, that the company would facilitate negative leave or special circumstances could be arranged; he said…. “tough”.
I also know a CFO of a large company and an ex CFO PA of Bank. They both tell me part of the CFOs job is to be a cold shower on the regular attempts to do dodgy stuff. One said execs spend most of their time together concocting dodgy practices that will increase profits and they think they could get away with.
As I said before…. Gordon Gecko won.
In yet another sordid Trump chapter a war criminal is cleansed.
Asperges me, Domine, hyssopo et mundabor,
Lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53QT2gsuwBc
Re: Gladys Lui in Chisolm
It’s worth noting…
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7720063/Death-Melbourne-car-dealer-linked-Chinese-plot-infiltrate-Australias-parliament.html
What makes us think that, after failing to get Nick to run for them in Chisolm, the Chinese backers would say ‘ Oh, ok. We give up. We won’t try again’
Surely they would look around for another possible candidate to back.
Well, a cynical person would think that I guess.
Obviously not ASIO, apparently.
PR
Trump has lost the war. Unless SCOTUS has a majority of traitors to democracy and it’s constitution the Don McGhan decision yesterday will see the end of Trump.
It means Mueller revived. It means Bolton testifying.
I just don’t see SCOTUS as doing that. Ginsberg only has to hold on for that decision to undo the US is going to be a dictatorship plan.
Edit: Maddow went through the judgement. It’s very plain. Democracy or dictatorship rests on the decision.
Boerwar @ #43 Wednesday, November 27th, 2019 – 8:52 am
Praise the Lord. My wife would have loved that ❗
Needs “hyssop twigs” to be replaced with “wet lettuce leaves.” 😇
Gladys Lui at work…uncertain who for..
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-14/gladys-liu-was-part-of-calls-to-ease-of-foreign-investment-laws/11511500/
Lizzie, the problem is not the number of people in Sydney and Melbourne forcing up commute times.
It’s their method of getting to work that is the most problematic – single occupant in a car.
It’s also not just the congestion costs. There’s the road building and maintenance, the importing of oil, the air borne particles, the CO2 emissions, the sedentary lifestyle and the health impacts that brings and the waste of valuable real-estate in providing parking.
C@tmomma @ #21 Wednesday, November 27th, 2019 – 8:17 am
The similarities are scary C@t. The sorts of thing we’d look at the USA and say – can’t happen here – are happening here. Frogs in simmering water. I remember thinking I’d never survive Howard getting a second term. Now look where we are.