Can't Work It Out

The really sad thing about our nation is that many of the regions have missed out on needed infrastructure investments for well over 30 years.

I have spent some time recently in a remote regional city - and the infrastructure is just atrocious.

Nothing much works anymore - the most visible problem is with the roads which seem to be in permanent disrepair. But most other services are also crap. The water supply is precarious at best, the internet is slow and unreliable, mobile phone services are poor or nonexistent, television and media services are rubbish, the health services are failing and the education system is seriously bad. I haven't yet found a problem with the electricity supply though ;-)

Actually the education system stinks. In this regional city there is no tertiary education facility at all. That is unless you call TAFE tertiary - and that seems to have been corrupted by vested interests and wide ranging nepotism. This lack of quality education does go some way toward explaining the other problems.

Now all of these issues reflect a failure of various State and Federal Governments to invest and support this region - over an extended timeframe. No wonder many regional Australians are pissed off - and revolting.

But in truth they have brought much of it on themselves.

The people in this city - and the surrounding district - vote conservative. They always have done and they probably always will. Because analysis and thinking rate way behind fishing and football ;-)

The State and Federal members are both currently Liberal - and have either been Liberal or National since Federation. The "Mighty Coalition" rules out here.

Which is rather unfortunate given that the State and Federal Governments are currently Labor?

But the amazing thing is that even when the State or Federal Governments were *Blue* in colour this region was still ignored and neglected and taken for granted.

I wonder if the locals will work it out one day?