Mood:
coolTopic: nsw govt
Have a look at this from one of our dusty old files above. The truth is Brian Langton former NSW Transport Minister 1995-97 had a good reputation back then amongst the green/non govt movement. But no doubt he was beaten senseless by Carl Scully MP as then Roads Minister over big construction projects like M2 and Eastern Distributor.
Langton lost the power struggle in a competitive dynamic engineered by Premier Carr. But it would be remiss not to stand up for Langton today on the tough work he did for public transport though eventually beaten down by ruthless Scully. True Langton kicked an own goal and lost his job over expenditure issues. Who knows maybe he was depressed over the policy beating at the hands of Scully, enough to depress anyone?
We last saw Mr Langton, at least if memory serves, in coverage of the VIP attendance at the memorial for Milo Dunphy held at Governor House around that time, who was founder of Total Environment Centre (and mentor to this writer).
We think Langton should be given credit where it's due, despite attacks on his past in the press today. At the least the good with the not so.
Here is more context of that hard fought policy and community politics dispute for which Langton was clearly on the side of the public interest ....when the Metropolitan Air Quality Study was showing 400 premature deaths from poor air quality per year. Indeed Sydney is suffering the escalating car fleet and road dependence even worse 10 years later.
In this sense Langton is vindicated on policy if not expense accounting, even as the political loser.
And one last comment: For those who sledge cyclists as free loaders on the roads. These car lovers never mention the capital cost of the land upon which the roads are built, around 1/4 to 1/3 of the whole city land mass when one includes all private and public land for car/truck usage including parking and services. That's a very very very big subsidy in free/cheap land.
