Rita Panahi: Daniel Andrews’ disregard for taxpayers clear in Suburban Rail Loop blowout

Daniel Andrews’ arrogant disregard for taxpayers’ money was again on display as he refused to answer questions about the Suburban Rail Loop’s $75bn blowout.

Daniel Andrews is to prudent financial management what the Chinese Communist Party is to democracy and transparency.

The Premier’s arrogant disregard for taxpayers’ money was again on display on Thursday as he refused to answer questions about the Suburban Rail Loop’s extraordinary budget blowout.

Despite his well-earned reputation as a control freak and micromanager, Mr Andrews asked journalists to refer the issue to his deputy Jacinta Allan who was not present to explain why a project that was to cost $50bn to complete will now cost $125bn for just the first two stages, according to the Parliamentary Budget Office.

Victorians have watched the Andrews government mismanage major projects with massive cost blowouts on the North East Link, West Gate Tunnel, Melbourne Metro, level crossing removals, Frankston and Footscray Hospital upgrades, suburban roads upgrade and the City loop upgrade, to name just a few.

The absolute contempt with which this government holds taxpayers is evident in the casual manner in which the premier dismissed revelations of this latest blowout.

Questions about the cost blowout were left to Jacinta Allan. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

“We provided an estimate. We did not provide a definitive cost,” he said.

“I’m happy to have Jacinta (Allan) come back to you about estimates of what, not the bit that’s been built, but the subsequent stages … Minister Allan was out yesterday talking about this. I’m sure she as Deputy Premier and Infrastructure Minister could speak to you again.”

Imagine if you ran your household budget the way this government runs Victoria?

It’s akin to budgeting $50,000 to buy a new Toyota Camry SL but then driving away from the dealership in a Maserati Ghibli. Oops.

Only difference is the average household has to pay for their financial recklessness rather than saddle long-suffering taxpayers with the debt.

The Suburban Rail Loop could cost every Victorian man, woman and child up to $20,000, based on the estimates.

That’s the equivalent to a couple of second-hand cars or business class airfares around the world or the stamp duty on a comfortable Melbourne unit. For context, it’s seven times more than the projected cost of the East West Link, which of course was never built, despite costing taxpayers over $1bn.

This project, which was never properly costed before being announced, will cost at least $35bn more than the federal government’s JobKeeper spend-a-thon.

It’s rather a lot, don’t you think?

And Premier Andrews doesn’t want to talk about it?