Keep politics off the highway
ONCE again we have the merry-go-round with the Pacific Highway.
Yet another serious accident is followed by some political circus.
Here, outraged National Party politicians posture by the side of the highway, looking indignant and demanding action.
It doesn't matter if they are in government or opposition, there's always the other side to blame, or the State or Federal government.
The latest farce involves a squabble between the ALP Federal government and the Nat-Lib State government over which one is paying a fair share towards fixing the highway.
Surely it's time that highways are considered as Australian infrastructure, not the subject of political sparring.
Neither side can claim much credit for fixing the highway.
Remember the Kempsey and Grafton bus crashes happened more than 22 years ago.
Like the Murray-Darling water, the highways should be entirely removed from any state government responsibility.
The Urunga crash and the Lennons truck crash in Sydney show that truck drivers should not have to drive so far, for so long to make a living.
As recently remarked, they go tearing through Coffs at night trying to beat the 10 or so traffic lights on a busy, bendy road.
Yet when the Federal government proposed to rationalise truckies' work hours and conditions, it met fierce opposition from the Opposition, including from our own federal MP. Good one, Luke.
Stop the stupid blame-games and fix the Pacific Highway, by debt funding if necessary.
Combine a new highway-rail system away from flood risk, and bypass the towns on the way.
It's easy, really.
MAL ANDERSON,
COFFS HARBOUR.
