While it is good news that the Infrastructure Minister, Graeme Sturges, seems to have gone at least a couple of weeks without yet another major disaster and has finalised a deal with Asciano to buy Tasmania's rail network, there are still a number of questions that are unanswered.

The most important one is how will the government pay for it?

The budget is on a knife-edge and Minister Sturges has not said where the money is coming from. The money has to come from somewhere. Either the budget is going to go deeper into the red, or services will have to be cut.

The Minister also needs to rule out redirecting money earmarked for vital track maintenance and upgrades to fund the rail takeover.

This Government has a well-earned reputation for being unaccountable and lacking transparency but it is not good enough for the Minister to dodge the question because it's too hot for him to handle.