GG - Well, Austal used to just build boats... now they build stuff that's big enough to be called ships. Where's the "line in the sand" difference? Buggered if I know. Maybe Cap'n Drapes can fill us all in on the difference?
Hasherucf - You're spot on with your statements. With the wealth coming out of Australias ground, we should be building water and power infrastructure, cities, and all the long-term requirements needed for the expanded population in 50 years time.
I think it's disgraceful that the number of imported luxury vehicles has soared to vastly increased levels in recent years... this is just one of many indicators, that we are swapping our finite wealth, for manufactured disposable goods, that will be just landfill in 10 yrs.
Unfortunately, we have a country run by politicians, not Statesmen or Stateswomen. The difference between them? Politicians make ad-hoc decisions and plan on the run... with the Party faithful the primary beneficiaries... and decisions made with an eye to winning the next election. Statesmen and Stateswomen make sound decisions and instigate long-term plans, for the benefit of the country and its citizens in the future.
To put it into aviation context... if Australia was an aircraft, it would become airborne without a flight plan... take off without a meteorological check, be flown by pilots with little control skills (but smooth voices on the RC)... and the pax would have no idea where they will end up. Fortunately for the poorly-skilled pilots, about 30% of the pax are apathetic about their pilots skills, and their destination.