‘A weak line espoused by people who obviously didn’t knock on a single door,’ Labor insider says of Jacinta Allan’s SRL claim

Jacinta Allan has continued to spruik the Suburban Rail Loop and brushed off criticism from Labor insiders who slammed her for suggesting the project helped Anthony Albanese secure victory.

Premier Jacinta Allan has brushed off criticism from her own party that she is “delusional” for suggesting the Suburban Rail Loop helped Anthony Albanese to victory in Victoria.

As revealed by the Herald Sun, ALP insiders have taken aim after Ms Allan boasted that her pet project was a key reason that helped federal Labor win seats in Victoria.

“It is as delusional as it is insulting to federal Labor, its volunteers and MPs for the state government to say SRL had anything to do with Saturday’s result,” said one senior insider, who was familiar with the inner workings of the campaign.

Despite the federal government yet to pledge anything further than $2.2bn towards the $34.5bn price tag, Ms Allan has doubled down on the rail line – and on Monday held a press conference to spruik the project in the wake of the federal election outcome.

Speaking from the project’s tunnel boring machine launch site in Clarinda, Ms Allan was greeted by a round of applause from six of her Labor MPs — including cabinet minister Steve Dimopoulos — that will have the rail line run through their electorate.

Premier Jacinta Allan says the SRL helped Anthony Albanese win seats in Victoria. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Ms Allan told reporters she wasn’t phased by the fierce criticism levelled at her by those within Australian Labor Party’s Victorian branch, maintaining the federal election result was a mandate on SRL.

“This project has the support of the Victorian community,” she said.

“I’m not focused on commentators, I’m focused on what Victorians are saying to us.

“Victorians understand why this project is just so important.”

Ms Allan said she has been in regular contact with Mr Albanese but couldn’t say when he would commit to more funding.

She also refused to say when her government would sign the next contract for the project.

Major construction work has begun at the Clarinda worksite ahead of the start of tunnelling next year.

Tunnel boring machines – known as TBMs – will arrive this year before they start carving out the southern section of the twin SRL tunnels.

Major construction work has begun at the Clarinda worksite ahead of the start of tunnelling next year. Picture: Mark Stewart

On Sunday, Ms Allan sought to distance herself from Labor’s lagging vote in Bendigo, denying a 10.5 per cent swing to the Nationals was a protest vote against her association with the seat.

She instead called out a “massively cashed-up campaign” from the Nationals candidate, Andrew Lethlean, who looks set to snatch the seat from Ms Chesters.

“The National Party, well, they ran a massively cashed-up campaign, run from outside of Bendigo, importing people in from Queensland and they did everything they could to distance themselves from Peter Dutton and the Liberal Party,” she said.

An ALP spokesman said the count in Bendigo was “extremely close” and a definitive result wouldn’t be known until at least Tuesday.

But the Premier said the broader result across Victoria should send a strong message to her detractors, who had been speculating that her days as leader were numbered in the wake of disastrous polling.

“I think the results yesterday – they’re not despite what’s going on in Victoria – they’re because of what’s going on here in Victoria,” Ms Allan said, referencing Labor’s agenda that includes infrastructure projects and a pledge to build more homes.

Ms Allan said she was not focused on the criticism, coming off the back of surging youth crime rates, a police force in turmoil and whopping budget blowouts for major projects.

Instead, Ms Allan took aim at Opposition Leader Brad Battin and his “Liberal outfit”, demanding they “come clean” and answer questions about whether they would proceed with cutting the SRL.

Mr Battin was a no-show on Sunday and his office rejected requests for an interview.

Originally published as ‘A weak line espoused by people who obviously didn’t knock on a single door,’ Labor insider says of Jacinta Allan’s SRL claim