Jeff Kennett: Budget is make or break for Victoria

Daniel Andrews has set Victoria on a bleak course from which there will be no turning back for decades. But on budget day we are entitled to a sign – some hope – that the Allan government is serious about governing responsibly.

Jeff Kennett says Daniel Andrews set Victoria on a course from which there will be no turning back for decades. Picture: Gary Ramage

I can think of no Victorian Premier who, in a decade of office, has so consistently worked to reduce – and for some destroy – the future of the citizens he was elected to serve than Daniel Andrews.

Yes, there have been wasted premierships, like James Munro in the 1890s putting personal financial interests ahead of good governance during the land boom era in Victoria. He appointed himself agent-general to London, resigned as premier and left by ship to Europe.

Thankfully, his successor premier William Shiels revoked his commission as agent-general because Munro had cost thousands of Victorians a great deal of money.

Red Dan, through his controlling way, has set Victoria on a course from which there will be no turning back for decades.

Yes, citizens and businesses are suffering now, but the greatest impact will be felt by our children and grandchildren.

Victoria’s debt will keep rising for two reasons.

The interest bill we now pay will increase and will add to our debt.

Second, we are now in that terrible position where the government might have to borrow for part of our recurrent expenditure. That is paying for the services the state government has to provide at a certain level of quality.

Leaks about next week’s budget have developed into a torrent.

Whether they have substance or not, they have unsettled the community, in particular those who work in the health system, education or emergency services.

Leaks about next week’s budget have unsettled the community. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Red Dan wanted to be known as the Infrastructure Premier, instead he will be increasingly remembered as the most damaging, autocratic premier in Victoria’s history.

Single-handedly he has made Victoria an ALP basket case again.

Borrowing so much money on infrastructure projects that were never tightly managed, over budget and years behind delivery will adversely affect every other service provided by government, and cost opportunities for citizens.

Already the interest on Red Dan’s debt has led to massive increases in property taxes, in particular land tax. One outcome of that is many who own investment properties for rent are selling those houses because the cost of keeping them is too high.

Who is paying the real price? Those seeking rental accommodation, because of declining stock and astronomical rentals being charged, many of them young Victorians.

Thank you, Red Dan.

Increasingly our hospitals are running at losses as borrowed money gets spent on infrastructure. Nurses, doctors, even access to hospital supplies are under pressure.

Thank you, Red Dan.

Next week’s budget is a make or break for Victoria.

Red Dan dreamt up the Suburban Rail Loop, and current Premier Jacinta Allan signed the first contracts for that ill-conceived piece of infrastructure.

Unless the budget puts a stop to that stupid and costly development, there is no other act that will send a signal that might actually stabilise Victoria’s debt – a signal that the government is serious about governing responsibly.

By scrapping the Suburban Rail Loop, Victoria can signal to its residents that it wants to stabilise state debt, says Jeff Kennett. Picture: Ian Currie

There is simply no way Victoria’s debt can be reduced in the foreseeable future.

Thank you, Red Dan.

More tax will not reduce debt, it will only reduce our population of long-suffering citizens, who will seek refuge and greater opportunities elsewhere.

Yes, we have hundreds of new arrivals entering the state, but most will take decades to establish themselves. Many will need support from the state’s already under-pressure services.

Next Tuesday is D-Day for Victoria. Budget day.

If the budget does not reflect the government is accepting the consequences of Red Dan’s and the current leadership’s actions, it will be us, the public, who continue to pay the price.

Our economic future is bleak enough as it is, but we are entitled to a sign – some hope – that our government will manage our way through the next two decades.

As for the rating agencies who oversee Victoria’s economic management and debt, they are as liable as Red Dan. They have failed, as they did before the collapse of US company Enron. The people of Victoria should lodge a class action against them to recover some of the financial damage they allowed to occur.

Red Dan foresaw what his leadership created and left the building. But he will never be forgotten.

If any government is stupid enough to commission a statue of him, it must be in a red finish to remind future generations of the damage one premier has rained on his people.

It is true we should never personalise politics, but equally we should never forget the damage one man’s controlling leadership has rendered on his community.

Like most individuals Red Dan is socially engaging, but in terms of public policy he has crippled us and Victoria for decades.

Watch for a sign on D-Day.