In a very well written article in today's Daily Telegraph its State Political Editor
Andrew Clennell wrote entitled "The
Premier State NSW stuck in a policy bog as Barry O'Farrell reviews and reviews
and reviews” DT
300913 exposes the O’Farrell Liberal government as a do nothing government,
just intent on presiding, offending as few people as possible, making itself a
smaller target as possible and just getting to the next election in March 2015.
Mr Clennell in an article published in the Daily
Telegraph on June 6, 2013 at DT
060613 described the performance of the O'Farrell Liberal's as:
"This
affair is the best example of a lazy, arrogant government, which thinks it can
hide behind the ICAC scandal and a record of electoral margin."
On Febraury 24 2013 on this blog commenting on
another article of Mr Clennell RH
240213 I wrote that the article had, "in effect, exposed Premier Barry O'Farrell for who, in my opinion he
really is; just another politician, just interested in being there, providing
no intellectual leadership, and no genuine intellectual agenda."
The observations made in today's article are not a
popular press beat up. It is an
important analysis of the failure of the ability of the O'Farrell government to
actually govern. The list of 100 reviews with no decision is an embarrassment
to New South Wales. How much are all these consultants costing? The Premier
asserts that his government makes "no
apologies for seeking expert advice on which to base decisions." Does
he have no faith in the state's public service?
In any event, after receiving all this expert
advice there is an expectation by the people in this state for the O'Farrell
government to actually make decisions and govern.
While I accept there are plenty of proposals where expert
advice needs to be sought for example Law reform issues such as child abuse
matters where the Law Reform Commission, the Law Society, Bar Association and
the Judiciary should to be consulted. However, the O'Farrell government didn't
get expert advice when it introduced its ridiculous and ineffective:
"Right to silence" legislation to give the impression it was tackling
gun crime.
It should have consulted widely on its planning law
reforms, which were the most absurd and dangerous planning reforms ever,
proposed in this state. The government might have been better consulting one of
its own members the Liberal member for Pittwater who is a highly qualified and
highly regarded planning lawyer, which would have saved a lot of angst to a
worried community.
The O’Farrell Liberals spent almost 2 years waiting
for Nick Greiner to tell the government what infrastructure priorities it
needed to adopt. The Liberals sat in opposition for 16 long years. Might the
community have expected it to be elected with some kind of plan?
WestConnex was their magic solution. A year ago it
was going to cost $10 billion, now it is going to cost $11.5 billion. It is not
going to be finished until 2023. It is not even going to start until after the
state election in 2015. The roads are in gridlock; the cap has been removed
from Port Botany millions of containers will be spewing onto our roads. And in 2023, Hey Presto the "WestConnex lemon" will be the magic
solution.
When Nick Greiner resigned from infrastructure NSW
in disgust, the public now have some idea as to why? Now Infrastructure NSW is
to be reviewed.
The trouble with getting these 100 reviews is it demonstrates
either the government or the public service of which it leads does not have the
ability to make decisions, or the government is frightened of making decisions
because they may be unpopular. Either way the people of New South Wales are not
being well served.
What will happen next?
That is
not very hard to predict. When Parliament resumes in a couple weeks time there
will be a flurry of activity. Announcements will be made to give the impression
of the government doing things.
Having
regard to the intellectual capacity of the O'Farrell Liberal government, any
rushed decisions in these circumstances are likely to be disasters.