AND they sold QR National, a nice little earner Premier Joh set up when he opened up the coal mines.
Open cut coal is a big volume business: Dig and move 100,000 T/D.
Instead of penny-pinching miners Joh gave them royalty holidays and said "Not only that, we will build the rail lines and haul the coal for you". Talk about a Gov controlled monopoly - QR thrived. Labor sold the family silver Joh worked so hard for.
Disclaimer: Being young at the time I despised Joh, only recently [since I had broadband I guess] have I appreciated his vision.
