Tuesday, 8 March 2022

Transport infrastructure

Dr BACH (Eastern Metropolitan) (12:48): As Minister Leane referred to a little bit earlier today, once again I have been pleased to gain some different and new responsibilities, in particular in the vital portfolio of transport infrastructure. Few portfolios demonstrate the mismanagement and incompetence of the Andrews Labor government better than the portfolio of transport infrastructure, and yet in saying that I certainly take no pleasure in that. It is Victorian motorists, Victorian commuters and Victorian transport users who pay the price of seemingly never-ending cost overruns and seemingly never-ending time lines being blown out by this Andrews Labor government.

But it is not only commuters; indeed it is every Victorian. Since the Andrews Labor government came to power back in 2014 infrastructure projects have blown out to the tune of $24 billion—$24 billion. Now, $24 billion could have, over that period of time, funded 120 000 ambulances or 280 000 teachers and nurses, and yet the government has no plan to fix the manifest problems in this portfolio—something that the Auditor-General has noted time and time again. If we are indeed to make this state number one again, it is on this portfolio in particular that we must focus to make sure we recover and rebuild.