Don't skyjack the taxpayer

6. Still on PPPs, it's worth remembering that to date they have not been success stories. Sydney's Cross City Tunnel and the Lane Cove Tunnel both careened into receivership. And on Saturday, The Australian reported the sad state of PPPs in the Sunshine State where five road tunnels were promised to be built under the Brisbane River, and only two have been completed (distressingly one is in receivership and the other is close to it), work on yet another tunnel has commenced and the plans for two other tunnels have been sent to the archives.

7. What exactly went wrong with those PPPs? And can it be made right? Is there a problem in the design of PPP tenders? In the intention of the contracts? In the supervision of the contractual obligations? Many taxpayers see PPPs as little more than selling public assets to companies, who generate excess profits, lack transparency, diminished environmental protections or a decrease in jobs.

8. Have the lessons of privatizing Sydney's KSA – from a taxpayer's or consumer's point of view - been learned?

NSW may really need a second airport, and then again maybe it doesn't.

How about all those who will derive direct measurable benefits from such a facility, pledge to pony up the cash to bankroll it? Once they do, let the public debate begin.

Until then, I am confident that NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell's horse is the one to back. No matter how short the odds.

The last thing he needs is to support a project, which could easily prove to be a financial and a political nightmare.

Why would he wish to help manufacture a problem with so little upside on his watch and one which could very easily see him shoehorned out of his job in favour of the ambitious Treasurer, Mike Baird or the ever diligent, no nonsense Transport Minister, Gladys Berejiklian.