General Discussions

[DJC]

Has it escaped folks’ attention that Lehrmann recently lost his attempt to have his name suppressed in another rape case that is eerily similar to the Brittany Higgins’ case?

He may be innocent until proven guilty but there’s no doubt in my mind that he is a despicable creature who gets his jollies from preying upon defenceless women.

Our Parliament and its hangers on has been a cesspit for far too long.  Sleazebags like Lehrmann should be exposed and eliminated.  Wilkinson may have inadvertently aided his cause, and that’s unforgivable … but she claims to have had her utterances legalled every step of the way.

[ElwoodBlues1]

Working in construction before, during and after covid, i can tell you that both those 'excuses' are genuine.

Can't give you any insight into the figures presented, but both those things have caused complete and utter havoc with materials and labour.

There is a reason builders are going bust left right and centre, and those are the reasons.

I'd buy inflation and higher interest rates but the maths don't add up to 16 billion.
Grattan institute said it was poor planning
given Victoria have too many projects running and not enough skilled labour and resources.

[DJC]

Working in construction before, during and after covid, i can tell you that both those 'excuses' are genuine.

Can't give you any insight into the figures presented, but both those things have caused complete and utter havoc with materials and labour.

There is a reason builders are going bust left right and centre, and those are the reasons.

Yes, as a project manager for many relatively small infrastructure projects well before COVID, 10-20% contingency was generally more than adequate.  It’s a different ball game now but the benefits of these long overdue, vital infrastructure projects still outweigh the increasing costs.

Matthew Guy was a minister in my department when he ignored departmental advice to approve several rezoning applications that were subsequently found to be illegal and were overturned at significant cost to the taxpayer.

A standing joke in the department was, “How do you know if the Minister is lying?”

“His lips are moving.”

[LP]

Grattan institute said it was poor planning

While I'm not saying the state government are in the clear, I do have to wonder how the Grattan Institute thinks you plan for wars and pandemics, it seems a reasonable question to ask?

[northernblue]

While I'm not saying the state government are in the clear, I do have to wonder how the Grattan Institute thinks you plan for wars and pandemics, it seems a reasonable question to ask?

Everyone is an expert after the fact.

[LP]

Yes, as a project manager for many relatively small infrastructure projects well before COVID, 10-20% contingency was generally more than adequate.  It’s a different ball game now but the benefits of these long overdue, vital infrastructure projects still outweigh the increasing costs.

Yes, in reality it's always cheaper in hindsight, our parents or grandparents thought $10K was too much for a house, imagine if they had waited for them to get cheaper?

I've several projects that have spanned the pandemic, the material and labour costs have risen 200%, but mostly in just the last year as supply chains start gouging customers to recoup bonuses lost over the pandemic. We froze many projects due to high freight costs during the pandemic, shipping rates climbed by 1400%. Those shipping rates have returned to pre-pandemic levels now, perhaps in some cases even lower, but the products they ship have remained high.

Oddly, the executive bonuses have recovered faster than expected, despite shareholder backlash, but wages are falling in real world terms.

In China the opposite is happening, the ar5e has fallen out of the market, suppliers are cutting each other's throat with discounts, it's last man standing before they go into full blown recession. Retail products there are 50% cheaper than they were before the pandemic, yet here we pay more than ever for the same sh1zen that gets imported. Historians will be alarmed by that, and they should be given the way socialist countries chose to get out of the doldrums.

[DJC]

While I'm not saying the state government are in the clear, I do have to wonder how the Grattan Institute thinks you plan for wars and pandemics, it seems a reasonable question to ask?

Organisations like the Grattan Institute provide an important service in subjecting government programs and projects to scrutiny that’s beyond the capacity of our opposition.  However, they’re not elected and don’t have to stand for re-election.

As has been remarked upon quite frequently in the last couple of weeks, Dick Hamer’s bold decision to build the City Loop would never have happened if it was subject to a basic cost-benefit analysis or Grattan Institute scrutiny.

[LP]

As has been remarked upon quite frequently in the last couple of weeks, Dick Hamer’s bold decision to build the City Loop would never have happened if it was subject to a basic cost-benefit analysis or Grattan Institute scrutiny.

I said the very same thing to the family last night about the London Underground, do people really think it made economic sense at the time?

These projects are not about profit, that is why they are labelled infrastructure.

Personally, they are 30 years too late already, we should have a bridge across the bay heads, and by now we should have been cutting a tunnel to Tassie!

[Gointocarlton]

I said the very same thing to the family last night about the London Underground, do people really think it made economic sense at the time?

These projects are not about profit, that is why they are labelled infrastructure.

Personally, they are 30 years too late already, we should have a bridge across the bay heads, and by now we should have been cutting a tunnel to Tassie!

Andrew chose to make the East-West link a political issue when every man and his dog knew it was needed. Infrastructure projects, while painful during construction and expensive, are necessary for the long term benefit and should never be politicised (especially at election time). Thats my simplistic view of it all.

[northernblue]

Andrew chose to make the East-West link a political issue when every man and his dog knew it was needed. Infrastructure projects, while painful during construction and expensive, are necessary for the long term benefit and should never be politicised (especially at election time). Thats my simplistic view of it all.

Try telling that to a politician.