Shirley MacLaine has a wonderful saying. “It is useless to hold a person to anything s/he says while s/he is in love, drunk, or running for office.”

With today's Federal Labor’s announcement of $2.6bn for the Parramatta-Epping Rail Link, I am cautiously pleased yet sceptical, because when you have a letter from the NSW Transport Minister dated only 10 days ago stating that the NSW State Government’s 10 year horizon does not include the Parramatta-Epping Rail Link, is a promise to be taken seriously?

After all, for the last 12 years since 1998, Western Sydney has been seduced so many times, and also just before another election. With Labor’s record thus far, forgive me for feeling hesitant until it is actually constructed.

On examination, this new Federal Labor promise will not even begin to materialise until after the two elections, and is also contingent upon the NSW State Government delivering on its newest promise of $500m towards the Parramatta-Epping Rail Link. It should be noted that the NSW State Government’s official 10 year plan transport blueprint for Sydney does not have $500m for the Parramatta-Epping Rail Link. So where is the $500m going to come from?

Yet Federal Labor has already given $3.2bn for Melbourne’s Regional Rail Express, $365m for the Gold Coast Rapid Transit, $293m for South Australia’s Gawler Rail Line upgrade, $291m for the Seaford Rail Extension, as well as $300m for Perth’s Northbridge Rail Link. So why does Western Sydney have to wait at least another 4 years, including two federal elections and one state election in between, for its share of attention for much needed infrastructure?

I guess time will tell, whether Australians believe in this latest promise, by way of the election on 21 August 2010. And if Federal Labor is re-elected, whether this promise will still be kept by 2014 by Federal Labor and State Labor.

Click here for a copy of the NSW Transport Minister's letter dated 1 August 2010.

Click here for the Deputy Lord Mayor's letter to then NSW Transport Minister David Campbell dated 29 March 2010.

Click here the Media Release issued on 11 August 2010.