THE chief city of one of the greatest wealth-producing regions of one of the most prosperous nations on Earth can’t compete with a city in recession-riven Europe to host International Expo 2017.

According to the government, it would be a waste of money for Newcastle to even attempt to compete against the Belgian city of Liege or Astana in Kazakhstan.

That’s the incredible excuse offered by the NSW government for dumping its election promise to spend $1 million on a bid to win the event for Newcastle.

On March 19, when then opposition leader Barry O’Farrell promised the million-dollar bid, he said the expo could attract millions of people and showcase Newcastle to the world. Continue reading →