Barnaby’s baby – boon or boondoggle?

As Scott Morrison announced $8.4 billion is to be spent on an inland freight rail linking Brisbane to Melbourne, Barnaby Joyce went purple with excitement. But is it a boon or a boondoggle? The proponent’s stated benefit-cost ratio (BCR) is 1.1. When wider economic benefits (WEBs) are included, the stated BCR rises marginally, but is…