Mr. Abbott last night, said that . . .

Mr. Abbott has told us with great pride, that he wants to be known at the infrastructure PM.

Mr. Abbott says that he has announced upgrades to what seem to be all our major highways. Of course he has let us know, that bridges need trains are not included. For some reason, he believes that the Feds have nothing to do with trains or rails. What was that infrastructure THAT Mr. Howard had built from Alice Springs to Darwin. Silly me, thought it was a railway line.

By the way, how successful was that endeavor? I seem to remember Howard also selling some off. Maybe that’s what Abbott means, OK to sell off, but not to build.

Now is upgrading roads all that infrastructure is about. Is building roads the most important and urgent problem facing this nature.

My gut tells me no, on both propositions. I believe that infrastructure might be about much more. If so, Mr. Abbott will have to do much, to earn that title.

The main contender in my eyes, is the record of the previous PM.

PM Gillard while in office, did indeed put much infrastructure in place. Abbott will have to work hard, to beat her record.

Infrastructure: The basic physical and organizational structures and facilities (e.g., buildings, roads, and power supplies).

Noun 1. the basic, underlying framework or features of a system of organization. 2. the fundamental facilities and systems serving a country, city, or area, as transportation and communication systems, power plants, and schools. 3. the military installations of a country.

Examples: The basic physical systems of a country’s or community’s population, including roads, utilities, water, sewage, etc. These systems are considered essential for enabling productivity in the economy. Developing infrastructure often requires large initial investment, but the economies of scale tend to be significant.

Definition: Internal facilities of a country that make business activity possible, such as communication, transportation, and distribution networks, financial institutions and markets, and energy supply systems. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

So it appears I could be correct. Infrastructure is much more that upgrading roads. One could say that much of what Abbott intends to claw back from the Gillard years, is the demolition of infrastructure.

I fear if Abbott keeps his promises, he will be demolishing infrastructure already in place or in the pipeline, not building it. Mr. Abbott last night said that one had to deal with the transport and roads, before even thinking of building a new airport. No, Mr. Abbott, one has to decide to build it, and choose the site. The infrastructure to service the airport can be built at the same time.

I suspect that airports are also off Mr. Abbott’ s list. Mr. Abbott did not end there. He went on to say the most important thing is to upgrade the roads that are cluttered around the existing airport.

No, Mr. Abbott, that will not fix the problem. You can speed the traffic up, but what does one do with the car. At once one gets to the airport. I suspect the answers in upgrading the public transport to the area. In reality, that means trains and light rail. Not more roads, to encourage more cars to come.

Yes, providing modern and up to date public transport would indeed be building infrastructure. Now back to those highways. Maybe it is time to give serious consideration to high speed rail. Yes, Mr., Abbott, that is also infrastructure, and could be more productive and efficient than more highways.

If not the high speed rail, why not put the rail infrastructure in place to get those trucks off the highways .Maybe if this was done, the present highways would be safer and able to cope with their present state. Just an idea, Abbott.

Yes, rail is a superior method of moving goods, between states and large cities. Trouble is, Mr. Abbott, you do not believe the Feds have any responsibility for trains.

Now what was also mentioned last night, that we need to have better services for the aged. Yes, Mr. Abbott, that pesky NBNCO, that you say we do not need supplies many solutions in that regard. Mr, Abbott, the NBNCO, that you want o claw back, and replace with inferior, crapped out copper,is essential infrastructure, this nation needs now and into the future.

It will enhance many other spheres of out community.From education, the health,to business.It will bring allow our country cousins to share any of the delight,us city folk takes or granted. It is the highways of this century. Second best will prove a waste of money.

Yes, putting fibre to the home is infrastructure. The same as the highways you want to upgrade. At this stage, more important.

Now let’s look at the Better Schools Scheme. Yes, this is also the infrastructure, to enable us to have a highly educated and skilled workforce, that we need to take our place in the Asian century. Another one that you want to claw back, saying the present system is not broken. Sadly Mr. Abbott, you and Mr. Pyne are the only ones that believes that.

Now I come to that so called carbon tax, you are going to abolish. Why abolish something that is working, and us financing the infrastructure business needs to grow in the future.

The CEFC is assisting many firms that are high users of electricity, produced by fossil fuels, to lower their power bills, now and into the future. This infrastructure that is occurring, in not only lowering carbon emissions, but greatly decreasing their power bills, some to a negligible amount. Mr. Abbott how do you justify not allowing such efficient and economical infrastructure to continue.

Mr. Abbott, why do you want to dismantle this infrastructure, to replace it with your Direct Action, that is expensive, inefficient and based on unproven technology? Mr. Abbott, no one believes it will work. NO one.

Then there is the MRRT. Yes, has not returned a much as expected, mainly because the mining magnates manage to delay it, until time, the super profits disappeared. Yes, Mr. Abbott, it is a tax that only brings returns of their a super profits. Still, it does bring in a little, that I used to give assistance mostly to business. Yes, Mr. Abbott, even that one helps build infrastructure.

Mr. Abbott, I have only touched on some of the infrastructure put in place by the previous PM. Why, if you want to be seen as the infrastructure PM, are you intent on pulling down much that is already in place?

Mr. Abbott, roads are not on top of the list. There are many more important structures that need to be put in place.

A good place for you to start, is to leave what is in place and already working. Demolition can be expensive, very expensive, and in this case, unnecessary.