Turnbull Government’s infrastructure spending short-changes Victorians
ALL Victorians are entitled to be disappointed, even angry, at the behaviour of the Turnbull Government, writes Tim Pallas.
Opinion
Don't miss out on the headlines from Opinion. Followed categories will be added to My News.
WHEN federal Treasurer Scott Morrison handed down his recent Budget, there was a collective groan from Victorians. Who could blame them? We were short-changed yet again. We may not have been surprised, but all Victorians are entitled to be disappointed, even angry, at the behaviour of the Turnbull Government.
They’re supposed to govern for all Australians, not just well-to-do Sydneysiders. They’re supposed to allocate money fairly. At the very least, they should have a grasp of basic mathematics.
When it comes to infrastructure funding, none of that seems evident. The Turnbull Government provides 8 per cent of national infrastructure funding to Victoria, while it builds a new airport for Sydney and sends 46 per cent of infrastructure funding to New South Wales.
Given we make up more than
25 per cent of the national population, that allocation of funding is unfair.
I don’t care what your politics is; it’s a paltry percentage and an insult to Victorians. We may be governments of different stripes, and we may have differences of opinion over what our priority projects are. Our priority is removing level crossings and building the Metro Tunnel, West Gate Tunnel, and North East Link, while the Turnbull Government preferred the East West Link, despite it not stacking up.
We took our position to the 2014 election, and Victorians had their say. That’s old news. The decisions have been made, and we’re getting on with what we promised to do. The Turnbull Government should not withhold money from Victorians just because it didn’t like the result of the last state election. It’s time to put political differences aside, and help us get on with it.
The task is to find common ground, which is why we supported the Commonwealth’s Asset Recycling Initiative, and why we developed the Regional Rail Revival, which includes projects the Turnbull Government has supported. The fact it can’t even agree to that — spending money on projects it wants — makes you wonder what it will agree to.
But as a state government, we are undeterred. While Malcolm Turnbull and Morrison focus on NSW and pass the buck, we get on with the job we were elected to do.
Prior to handing down my first Budget, infrastructure investment for Victoria averaged $4.9 billion for the previous decade. Our most recent Budget invests more than $10 billion into the projects our communities need — that create jobs, attract investors and revitalise road and rail systems. Investments that may not bear fruit for decades, but are essential to long-term prosperity and livability.
We will spend an average of $9.6 billion every year over the next four years on infrastructure projects for Victoria. That’s almost as much as the Turnbull Government will spend on average on infrastructure for the whole of Australia.
Clearly, when it comes to infrastructure, it is a junior partner.
It is the states — Victoria in particular — doing the heavy lifting. This paltry effort by the Turnbull Government means it forfeits the right to lecture the states on infrastructure. It is, of course, good at saying all the right things. It’s happy to trot out familiar lines about how it is willing to partner with Victoria, how it is willing to invest in Australia’s most dynamic state.
But it fails to back it up with anything substantial. When Morrison talks about the value of agreements and governments working together, it’s hard to take him at his word, given he and Turnbull are walking away from the Asset Recycling Agreement, short-changing Victorians to tune of $1.46 billion.
Victorians are sick of the politicking and sick of shoulder shrugging.
If the Turnbull Government were genuine about working with Victoria, it wouldn’t find a more enthusiastic partner than the Victorian Government. We know how to build infrastructure. Across the state roads, rail, schools, and hospitals are all being built. But the rules of engagement have to be fair, consistent and reasonable.
At Budget estimates this week, the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development confirmed that the federal Budget did not include a single extra dollar for Victorian infrastructure. This is despite Morrison claiming he’d made $1 billion available for regional rail and infrastructure projects in Victoria.
Unlike the Turnbull Government, we’ve always been upfront about what we’re doing and what we stand for.
Our economy is performing four times faster than when we came to government, and six out of 10 jobs in the nation are being created in Victoria. Given we’re the nation’s economic engine room, 8 per cent of infrastructure funding is insulting and unfair.
We’ll keep fighting for Victoria’s fair share of the national pot. That’s what Victorians expect. And it’s the least that Victorians deserve.
Tim Pallas is the Treasurer of Victoria
Human cost of pandemic goes much further than virus
Whether you are pro or anti-lockdown the grim, unintended consequences of the fixation on coronavirus are undeniable, as other diseases — including cancer and heart disease — go unchecked, and despair from joblessness, poverty and financial stress rises, writes Rita Panahi.
Premier must outline his plan so Melbourne can recover
As the community overwhelmingly complies with the Premier’s stage four restrictions, he must clearly outline his virus strategy so we can make plans to rebuild confidence and employment in our city, which right now is a ghost town, writes Jeff Kennett.