Thursday, 12 May 2022

Ministers statements: Suburban Rail Loop

Mr ANDREWS (Mulgrave—Premier) (14:09): I am delighted to rise to update the house on our state’s largest ever transport project, the Suburban Rail Loop—a project that delivers $1.70 of benefit for every dollar invested; a project that creates 8000 jobs in just its first section, the section between Cheltenham and Box Hill; a massive project to connect all of those spokes by putting a wheel around that so that people do not have to go all the way into the city on one train line only to have to go all the way back to where they want to go on another train line. It is about a road network that works and a public transport network that works. It is about jobs and skills. It is about making sure that people across the suburbs can get to medical appointments, can get to TAFE, can get to university, can get to family and friends and can get to a job. Not only does it stack up but there is also the small matter of the fact that Victorians voted for this project—

A member: Overwhelmingly.

Mr ANDREWS: And, might I say, overwhelmingly. So you would think, wouldn’t you, with all of those benefits and a business and investment case that is just glowing in terms of its recommendation the federal government literally would be racing to Melbourne to be a partner in that. Well, sorry, not a dollar—not one dollar. In stark contrast, the leader of the federal opposition, the leader of the federal Labor Party, Anthony Albanese, was here just a couple of days ago making a real commitment because he knows how to build things and get things done. He wants a partnership with our government and the Victorian community—$2.2 billion for more jobs, better skills, a better road network, a better public transport network. That is what leadership is all about, not starving Victoria of funding, not being a Prime Minister from and for Sydney alone.