Budget response

THOUSANDS of litres of water lost every year through leaky pipes and crumbing infrastructure will be targeted under Kevin Rudd’s water plan. So talk to the state Labour governments, it’s their problem to fix but then so is water storage and look how Queensland has managed that. Can’t go for new dams when you want the greenie vote so for over a decade nothing gets done and we are about to be drinking muddy bottom water. Rudd’s answer to the water problem is to open the bandaide package and apply liberally. He devines that the water crisis can be fixed by bandaiding pipes and signing Kyoto – could I suggest build more dams and wait for the droubt to end would be more practical. Solar energy? Still has a way to go yet. People I know solar powered their homestead at the cost of $72,000 and it still doesn’t handle the load. Putting money into solar power and clean coal research is fine; addressing climate change and producing a cleaner and leaner ecology is necessary but these options are all long term plans and we need an answer now. I seem to recall, a few years ago when Howard started the campaign on education he mentioned trade training and the ALP went on ad nauseum about how Howard was kicking kids out of school at fifteen and denying them a uni degree. A few years late but now they agree it’s necessary…good. I note one of Kevin’s three core challenges is making sure ‘fair go’ has a future and not just a past. If you substitute ‘Unions’ for ‘fair go’ I think you’ll get his drift. All in all, a sermon of platitudes. The true believers and the left will love it but I don’t see it stamping the ALP as a reasonable alternative. Honeymooon turning to roller coaster soon.