Trucking receives highest subsidies

Do truck drivers think they are going to get any sympathy from the public by protesting rising fuel costs?

Although I feel sorry for any truck driver that loses his job, I think its time to look closely at how out transport industry is structured.

The Australian taxpayers subsidise the trucking industry to the figure of $12 billion per annum.

At the same time, rail receives much smaller financial help from governments and the most economical, environmentally-friendly transportation method, shipping, receives not one cent from the government.

Australia once had one of the largest shipping fleets in the world but it now stands on the brink of collapse because of the ideology of the former government.

The former government was happy to destroy Australian shipping because of its strong unionised workforce and support of the Labor Party and, at the same time, was prepared to let our produce be shipped around the country by foreign shipping.

Let's see if the trucking industry can fight off not only rising fuel costs but perhaps the introduction of foreign truck drivers driving foreign trucks working for less and in more polluting, unsafe trucks.

That's the reality facing Australian shipping.

When the trucking industry has to compete with those realities then they might get some sympathy.

Ross Cochrane Woy Woy