Jeff Kennett: Daniel Andrews has prioritised big spending and new builds over health

Even Daniel Andrews ALP predecessors would turn in their graves at the debt levels he’s leaving for our children to deal with.

Promises about the future, five, ten or fifteen years from now have merit – but only if, in the meantime, the things that you are expected to do as a government are managed well.

An extraordinary number of election promises have been made by the two major political parties in recent weeks.

The government has sole responsibility for decision making and expenditure. The Opposition can critique the government’s priorities and policies – but has no authority other than the words they utter.

So, it is not the Opposition’s fault that the ambulance service is unable to provide a service that offers confidence that a swift response will prevent a family member dying.

It is not the fault of the ambulance officers. Responsibility lies with the elected government that has failed to prioritise the ambulance service.

The same applies to most hospitals. So many are ill-equipped to provide a modern professional service. Again, not the fault of the overworked staff, but the lack of priority given to health by the government over the last eight years and longer.

Premier Daniel Andrews at the new Arden Station development. Picture: Nicki Connolly

The Andrews government has instead prioritised expenditure on infrastructure. Rather than deliver one or two projects at a time, it has committed to many projects at the same time. Most if not all projects are grossly over budget and most well behind time on delivery.

This infrastructure focus is being financed on borrowed money, tens of billions of dollars. Yet at the same time, priorities for health services has fallen.

Before the Premier abuses me for raising this gross failure, why is he (and the Opposition) now announcing a raft of new hospitals, which will take years to design and build, not to mention staff?

None of the $6bn the Premier has announced (and re-announced) can be up and running

within five years – assuming they are ever built at all.

The government has employed thousands of new mental health workers (psychologists and psychiatrists take years to train) and thousands of new hospital staff members in recent months.

This rush is simply confirmation that the Andrews government has failed to invest in existing hospitals and ambulance service. Andrews is trying to change the narrative.

Let me turn to one of the Premier’s latest spins, to reintroduce the SEC. It is apparently going to be 51% government – owned, with the rest held by superannuation funds.

The new SEC will invest in solar energy and wind farms. Andrews has dictated that all coal fired stations must close by 2035, only 12 years away.

I support increasing our reliance on renewables. But it must be gradual. To totally end Victoria’s use of coal as a contributing energy source is sheer madness. Wind and sunshine will not on their own meet all our needs. As we move increasingly to a non-fossil fuel environment, we will need a mix of energy sources.

But the most urgent question is this: can you trust the Andrews Government to manage such a project?

Based on the delays and overruns on infrastructure projects in recent years, the answer is no.

The government will borrow yet another billion dollars we can’t afford to borrow. Worse, the Premier has signalled his desire to use your superannuation funds to pay 49% in this latest act of desperation.

Hopefully the directors of your super fund will reject such a use of your money. But don’t underestimate this Premier. Remember he locked the State down for 262 days, when South Australia only closed for 10. He stopped your children visiting playgrounds.

Andrews has promised to build new hospitals and schools. Picture: David Crosling

He puts infrastructure spend above health, and he has had a convenient loss on memory about his government’s decision that cost over 800 lives.

Now he wants get your superannuation funds?

I know many who read this column, who are strong Labor supporters will reject my views out of hand. I accept and understand your loyalty.

I have seen this before – but never as bad or as serious.

I have always been driven by outcomes, and the rest of Australia is shaking its head in disbelief at events in Victoria.

I lived through the last “Bucket State” period for the State in the 1980s and early 1990s. I know how hard it is to turn the state around.

My predecessors, the ALP’s John Cain and Joan Kirner, will be turning in their graves at what Andrews is doing to your children and grandchildren’s future.

Like President Xi in China last week, Andrews wants to extend his period of control over our lives and our state.

Like Chairman Xi Daniel Andrews has seen the exit of most of his most experienced ministers.

Our system is democratic, unlike China. We get a say in who leads us.

If opportunities shrink, and Andrews is re-elected, we will all be asking ourselves how we allowed this to occur, perhaps by the time that Chairman Dan has fled the state and left us to wallow in his mess. If the Chairman wins, our debt levels could be closer to $300bn than $200bn by 2026.