Bligh’s long slippery snow ski slope of ‘excellence’

The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense. – Tom Clancy.

With Queensland’s sunshine, beaches, wide open spaces, mild winters, and sub tropical to tropical climate, the question has to be asked, “What more could you ask for?” This seems to be a question asked by the Bligh government a couple of years ago while looking for ideas on things to spend money on.

Fortunately her Sports Minister came to the rescue with something that had been bugging him for some time. “This state has never received a Winter Olympics gold medal in snow ski jumping and it’s a national disgrace,” he claimed. He added, “The hordes of ski jumping and other snow sports hopefuls from this state are discriminated against because of the unfair requirement of having to travel long distances to places where there is snow. It is much better to build a special facility where they can practice their sport in the warm climate here.”

Well, that last couple of paragraphs are a bit speculative, but the state government back then allocated $6 million + to build a multi-story snow ski jump in Brisbane; a scheme the current government has canned:

Although Queensland is renowned for its tropical rainforests and golden beaches washed by warm ocean waves, the Bligh government had wanted the state to be a centre of excellence for snow ski-jumping. The artist's impression [above] shows the $6 million Winter Olympics facility planned for Brisbane - which basks in 240 days of sunshine a year. …

The new State Government - grappling with an avalanche of debt inherited from its predecessors - will today scrap the project, which was on track to be built for 2013. On Friday, the Newman Government revealed a $100 billion Budget blowout.

"It's snow joke," said Sports Minister Steve Dickson yesterday, describing the plan as a waste of taxpayer money. Mr Dickson said Labor had approved the development of the 36m high, 10m wide behemoth - complete with hydraulics and purpose-built lift - at the Sleeman Sports Complex, using the centre's new 50m swimming pool as a landing area.

Mr Dickson said. "The fact that a Winter Olympic training venue was considered a priority at a time when 96 per cent of the Labor government's capital spending programs were being sourced through debt is simply beyond belief.” …

You have to wonder if the ex-members of the Bligh Labor government ever look back on their antics and feel embarrassed about their sheer crass stupidity. Probably not!