they definitely would have whinged about it ( no policy gets up without some people pissing and moaning )
but, in my opinion, it would have gotten through ... and that's the key bit because NOTHING can more thoroughly refute a verbal freakout prediction more than the actual policy functioning and the doomsayer stuff NOT coming true.
once a reasonable policy is implemented, all the freakout predictions fade like a fart in a stiff wind.
in terms of the gradually rising costs, that would have been easy to circumvent.
A. "no that's awful because some people can't afford it and we're worried about the cost rising"
B. "ok, you're right, we won't charge concession card holders and the price is indexed to inflation for the first 15 years"
the Australian electorate would have (overall) been FINE with that policy ... it would have been a non-event
what is so bloody hard about that?????
nothing! that is easy policy .... therefore, my conclusion, until someone convinces me otherwise, is that this Government has a fundamental, philosophical problem with poor people ... they firmly believe that poor people are poor because they don't work hard enough ... because they're lazy ... they forget (like many successful people do) all the help, luck, pure circumstance etc that helped them become successful
I have an acquaintance that does this ... parents paid for private school, parents paid (upfront) for uni and an MBA ... now this spanner who rode pocket aces his entire life works for a bank in middle management and denigrates poor people for not applying themselves ... literally has never spoken to a single poor person in his entire life
