Key NSW Election Theme 2: Public Services and Infrastructure

NSW public services and infrastructure are suffering. I challenge anyone to argue against that statement. To help prove my point, i want you to think about the last time you went to a public hospital in NSW, perhaps even for an emergency. How long were you stuck in the waiting room before a nurse even saw you? How long did it take for a doctor to then see you? The time it takes has blown out dramatically under this government. And its not just hospitals. Our schools are degrading, and our transport system has been designed with profits in mind and not to supply needed services.

Let me indulge in to the public transport issue for a moment for I believe public transport is a key issue in the seat of Londonderry. Pollution promoting and money grabbing motorways, tollways and tunnels are being built at the expense of funding decent public transport (did anyone say cross-city tunnel?). Consider the following, NSW Government has:

• Failed to invest in thenew heavy rail projects to the Hawkesbury and Penrith.
  
• Closed rural branch lines, reduced passenger services and reducing greenhouse gas haulage.
• Stalled the expansion of new urban light rail projects and delayed essential works on Sydney's heavy rail network.
• Reduced the frequency of bus services, indeed the Hawkesbury has little or no public bus network at all.
• Slowed the trains! And just so to make it look like they come on time.
  
• Cut bike and pedestrian funding by nearly two-thirds in the last financial year and abolished the position of General Manager Bicycles and Pedestrian Branch of the RTA.

The fault can be squarely laid at the feet of the Carr and Iemma Governments. NSW Treasurer Michael Costa and his predecessor Michael Egan made themselves heroes of the financial sector by eliminating the NSW budget deficit. They were able to "achieve" this by starving the public sector of needed funds required to meet the needs of the state while also privatising essential services. Indeed, the shortfall in funding of the public sector is at least $1 billion dollars a year.

What is the Greens alternative?

For public services and infrastructure more generally, the Greens will ensure that quality public services will be provided and sufficiently funded to meet the needs of the community. The Greens support borrowing to finance publicly-owned infrastructure that adds value to this state. In addition, to help fund the current shortfall the Greens would redirect wasteful and damaging spending such as public funding of the wealthiest private schools, tax rorts for large corporations and extravagant government advertising.

Public transport has to be the key to NSW's transport future. The Greens propose that we encourage (read it, it says encourage not force) public transport, cycling and walking over private transport. A key point is to address the transport equity issues by extending public transport options for Western Sydney. Public transport is also key to fighting climate change. Greenhouse emissions from cars can be curbed by promoting public transport.