Why the Guvment should not be trusted to run a Chook Raffle

[Crazy Dazz]

Some time back the govment announced a squillion dollar project to upgrade our train-station. So fair enough, its ok, but not great. After much signage and disruption (including ripping up a huge patch of paving to provide a lay-down area) they proclaimed plans to expand the covered area by 40% and began delivering steel girders that looked suitable for the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Of course this necessitated much fencing and demolition, including the light-poles.
Months later, what have we got? Two strips so narrow they'd make a stripper blush, and give new meaning to the phrase "tits on a bull."

Shortly thereafter we were all accosted early one morning by a survey company (engaged by the govment) to provide our views on how the station could be improved. Awesome I thought, there are quite a few important things that could be improved.
Buses for a start. Our station must be the only one in Perth that has no buses running anywhere near it, so we have to drive. And unfortunately there is only parking for a fraction of the people, and nowhere else to park.

Now, right about here, you've probably smelt the rat. A govment that cares what ordinary people think??? Sure enough, the survey was simply a political exercise, trying to get me (in ten different questions) to proclaim myself a pot-smoking, spandex-wearing, kale-eating cyclist.
So sure, my 14 hour days aren't long enough, what I'd really like to do is add another two hours cycling (in Perth's weather) just so I can front up on the train and impress everyone with my spandex and BO.

Then, surprise, surprise, sur-prise, inside a couple of weeks (long before the survey would even have been finished processing,) work begins on building even more bike-shelters.

BTW: I have never seen the existing shelters anywhere near full, but that could just because they are mostly used by guvment workers.

[Burnout]

You just now realise that Politicians are nearly always deceptive........

[Adamz Ghia]

I have always believed governments shouldn't be running any projects. Rather they should be tendering them out to private companies who would have to meet performance criterias and penalties for non compliance. And real penalties, not the slap on the wrist stuff they currently dish out to Metro and the like. Governments can't even run themselves let alone anything else.

[Blue Shadow]

Originally Posted by Adamz Ghia

I have always believed governments shouldn't be running any projects. Rather they should be tendering them out to private companies who would have to meet performance criterias and penalties for non compliance. And real penalties, not the slap on the wrist stuff they currently dish out to Metro and the like. Governments can't even run themselves let alone anything else.

And further, I don't think should even do the planning of the project.
Not just a trust issue but a competence issue too

[Tassie f100]

Originally Posted by Adamz Ghia

I have always believed governments shouldn't be running any projects. Rather they should be tendering them out to private companies who would have to meet performance criterias and penalties for non compliance. And real penalties, not the slap on the wrist stuff they currently dish out to Metro and the like. Governments can't even run themselves let alone anything else.

Maybe a good idea if there was someone with a brain to check the tenders. Every Govt job seems to cost twice as much as private contracts.Trouble with Govt contracts is there aren't people who know how to cost a job before tenders are let. Public servants don't care how much the cost is because it doesn't effect there over paid position.

[Crazy Dazz]

Our previous guvment spent billions building new hospitals. Massive cost overuns, and all sorts of problems.
And I just don't understand why they bother?

Even if you accept the rather bizarre premise that taxpayers should fund unlimited healthcare for everyone, why does the guvment need to build hospitals???

The STUPIDEST one ever is Midland. There the Guvment is building the hospital, and handing it over to SJoG to manage. WTF?

If the police need new vehicles, does that mean the guvment has to build them?

[Franco Cozzo]

Parents are on their way to PNG at the moment, they're over half way there

[Adamz Ghia]

Problem is they've become too big. Even since Howard (that's when I was old enough to take an interest in politics) the levels of beaurocracy that has sprung up in all layers of government is beyond belief. And each new layer breeds its own new layer and on it goes. Any project that is proposed has to go through a dozen different agencies and that's before it even makes it for consideration. I'd love to see the cost breakdowns of a major project to see what was being built actually cost and how much was spent on the white collar side of things.

[davenl5l]

You think thats bad try $26,000 bollards (each) going in around Adelaide oval to stop terrorism .this is on top of the billions already wasted by sa labour

[Rallye Sport]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

Some time back the govment announced a squillion dollar project to upgrade our train-station.

Is that the one in Greenwood Dazz?
I've noticed something going on there but its hard to tell when I'm driving past in my car at 100kph. Feels good too, I listen to my own music, deal with my own problems and only have my own farts to sniff.
I just don't understand public transport.
This one sums it up for me, I know its cycling but thats not far off riding the train
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOTNAY2MKGw

[MITCHAY]

I don't know of any projects that have been outsourced to the private sector that have been cheaper or on time. It's a myth.

[Adamz Ghia]

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

I don't know of any projects that have been outsourced to the private sector that have been cheaper or on time. It's a myth.

That's because they're not out sourced, they're merely given a contract to build it, the government still runs the project. Take Melbourne Metro. It's being built by private companies however it's being run by the Melbourne Metro Rail Authority- a government agency.

Meanwhile while you have the NBN- a government run project- running over time and massively over budget even though it's been scaled back to a shadow of what it was supposed to be, and TPG is building their own to compete in Sydney which is running ahead of schedule despite NBN's attempts to stop it, and Telstra on the way to launch CBD trials of its 5G network which will be faster and cheaper than the NBN.

[zipping]

Originally Posted by davenl5l

You think thats bad try $26,000 bollards (each) going in around Adelaide oval to stop terrorism .this is on top of the billions already wasted by sa labour

26K for bollards are you sure?

That's insane.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Parents are on their way to PNG at the moment, they're over half way there

Don't mind me wrong thread

Yeah private industry is so much better than Government

The place I did my apprenticeship with played musical CEOs then the members of the board stole $30M from the company and 258 people lost their jobs.

They mostly had Government contracts building emergency vehicles and we were ripping the Government a new one left right and center on expensive poorly made crap.

[olfella]

Originally Posted by Adamz Ghia

I have always believed governments shouldn't be running any projects. Rather they should be tendering them out to private companies who would have to meet performance criterias and penalties for non compliance. And real penalties, not the slap on the wrist stuff they currently dish out to Metro and the like. Governments can't even run themselves let alone anything else.

Pork barrelling seems to be the main criteria for infrastructure projects, regardless of need. Then there are mates to keep happy and rich - so the whole process commencing with requirements needs to be transparent IMHO but that is just as futile as peeing into the wind

[Crazy Dazz]

Unfortunately what we often up with is a stupid compromise, that simply ends up wasting more money. So the government contracts somebody to build them a new hospital. Of course its going to be rubbish, over budget and behind schedule. How could it possibly be anything but?
The builder is out to milk the guvment for everything it can, and the people running the show on the guvment side are too stupid to know any better.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

Unfortunately what we often up with is a stupid compromise, that simply ends up wasting more money. So the government contracts somebody to build them a new hospital. Of course its going to be rubbish, over budget and behind schedule. How could it possibly be anything but?
The builder is out to milk the guvment for everything it can, and the people running the show on the guvment side are too stupid to know any better.

Or maybe the people in the Government know and the people they contract are their mates.

Then when they get voted out they take up a position with their mates company doing nothing and collecting benefits?

[olfella]

They all do it but how to break the cycle?
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politi...09-gye5bg.html

[Adamz Ghia]

If the electorate was smarter they would vote each MP out after one term, two tops. Make every seat a swing seat. People in Geelong complain all the time how much of a dump it is, it never occurs to them they've been voting the same way for around 50 years and show no sign of changing. Vote them out time after time and watch things change.

[yanknbank]

I don't have any faith in any of our politicians at the moment, at any level of government to do the right thing for our local communities or for our country. Politics takes precedence over almost anything thing else that you could think of, whilst the actual running of the country rates a distant second.

A first rate country (allegedly), run by third rate ****wits!

[Iggle Piggle]

It is why I love but also hate watching that show Utopia on ABC.

It's funny because it's true; and it sucks because it's true.

This episode perfectly fits this thread...

http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/utopia/CO1511V006S00

[cheap]

You should direct your complaint to the real villain - THE PUBLIC SERVICE.

The unaccountable, glutenous, incompetent public service. They do what they want, when they want, how they want and have a hell of a time opening your wallet spending your money!

The elected politicians soon realise they have next to no control over the PS, instead they simply try to stay under the public's radar collecting their inflated salary and having the odd perk per week thrown in for good measure.

[Tassie f100]

Originally Posted by cheap

You should direct your complaint to the real villain - THE PUBLIC SERVICE.

The unaccountable, glutenous, incompetent public service. They do what they want, when they want, how they want and have a hell of a time opening your wallet spending your money!

The elected politicians soon realise they have next to no control over the PS, instead they simply try to stay under the public's radar collecting their inflated salary and having the odd perk per week thrown in for good measure.

You are so right!! Pollies like to think they run the country but in fact the whole show is run by Govt advisors who are Public servants.If a Pollie has an idea it gets checked off by the PS,if it might work it gets the Ok,if not we never hear any more about it.Public Servants don't care what anything costs because it doesn't effect them or the money for jam pay packets

[Mercury Bullet]

Where's Jim Hacker?

[xtremerus]

I know guvment can't run a chook raffle.
But look what has happened to the electricity industry when they sold it off to private enterprise ?

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by cheap

You should direct your complaint to the real villain - THE PUBLIC SERVICE.

That's what I'm referring to.
Institutionally incompetent, irresponsible, and unaccountable.

[scoupedy]

I am thinking of starting my own facist party it will be called the Australian National Union of Socialist or A.N.U.S for short. First thing get rid of pockies if your a migreant and break any laws you get deported. Cap the population one in one out like a nightclub. Cut politicians pay and pensions and Super. 100% tax if you earn more than the top surgeons like CEO's. You can pay the millions but we will take it all. Return power and important utilities to public ownership.
At least with A.N.U.S we are up front about being assholes.

[Express]

Originally Posted by xtremerus

I know guvment can't run a chook raffle.
But look what has happened to the electricity industry when they sold it off to private enterprise ?

The electricity industry is doing a fantastic job at making money for themselves which is what privatisation is all about.

When is comes to looking after the consumers they must have taken lessons from the banks.

The government dropped the ball by not seeing that measures should have been taken with the sale to adequately protect the consumers.




.

[kaniSS]

You should know by now all projects are set up to benefit mates and "Consultants" of politicians. We call it legal corruption in our office, we see it everyday.

[Trump]

The reason govco is so incompetent when it comes to public infrastructure these days is because they got rid of their public works departments. Decades of experience, skill, knowledge and dare I say it, wisdom was lost when they were all shut down. The various works departments were civic minded, forward thinking and were very good at over delivering. An example I use to prove my point is the initial section of the Eastern Freeway in Melbourne. It was built in the 1970's with five lanes in each direction all the way through to Bulleen Road. The traffic volumes were so light that it took until the early 2000's for the road to experience any sort of congestion.

However, Jeff Kennett ushered in the era of "helping ones mates" by disbanding the Board of Works in Victoria and having CityLink built as a PPP (public private partnership). Once the pigs got a taste of what was in the trough, the rest as they say, is history.