Greens tell Labor: Victorians deserve to know where you stand.
Planning Minister Matthew Guy today approved Victoria’s most expensive road in history [1].
Ellen Sandell, Greens candidate for the state seat of Melbourne, says “It’s completely nonsensical that Minister Guy would approve the East West toll road. With thousands of submissions from community groups, tens of thousands of Victorians signing petitions and taking to the streets, it’s clear that the the people of Melbourne do not want this toll road.
“The toll road has been approved despite a lack of clarity on the impact on Flemington Road. No business case has been announced, but Infrastructure Australia’s analysis indicates that for every $1 invested, 20 cents will be wasted [2]. Considering stage one and two of this project will cost $18 billion, that’s a lot of taxpayer money going to waste.
“What Melburnians need is more investment in to public transport, as this morning’s reports of overcrowding reports confirm [3]. We’re are calling on the Labor party to stand publicly with the Greens, and commit to ripping up the contracts if elected. The Labor party have been sitting on the fence for too long. Victorians deserve to know where they stand.”
Media Contact: Claire Harman - 0430 144 790
[2] http://www.smh.com.au/national/eastwest-link-would-not-return-state-costs-20140212-32ihr.html
[3]http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/tram-system-jammed-as-old-carriages-fall-apart-20140629-zsq14.html