Budget an Opportunity to Learn the Mistakes of Past Privatisation
The Victorian Greens are calling on Labor to learn from past mistakes and stop outsourcing key government functions in their submission for the 2018-2019 Victorian Budget.
Earlier this year, the Premier agreed that Victorians were worse off after the state's electricity network was privatised. Now is the time to act on that realisation and stop privatisation spreading through key areas of government responsibility.
Among the measures proposed by the Greens are:
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Cancelling the building of private toll roads including the West Gate Tunnel and North East link in favour of West Gate distributor plan, and redirecting funds into building train lines to the Airport, Doncaster and Rowville as well as duplicating the Hurstbridge line from Greensborough to Eltham.
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Stopping the sell-off of public housing estates to private developers and redevelop Public Housing Renewal Program sites as 100 per cent public housing as well as setting a minimum of 30 percent affordable housing in all new large apartment developments.
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Reinstating core public funding to TAFE and restoring the TAFE system as the preeminent provider of vocational education and training in the State.
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Using the $2 billion from the sale of the Snowy Hydro to invest in government-owned renewable energy to bring down energy bills, including solar panels and batteries in all Victorian schools.
Quotes attributable to Victorian Greens leader, Samantha Ratnam.
"Transport, education and housing. These are the areas that people expect the State Government to deliver on, and Daniel Andrews needs to commit to providing these services instead of outsourcing them to private companies.
"It is not too much for Victorians to expect their Government to deliver a world class public transport system, universal access to further education and training, and to reducing the public housing waiting list.
Quotes attributable to Victorian Greens spokesperson for Treasury, Ellen Sandell
"Both Labor and the Liberals have privatised essential services, but this has resulted in big profits for private companies at the expense of everybody else. We're calling on the Andrews Labor Government to learn from these mistakes, stop the privatisation of our energy, transport and housing systems, and do what's best for all Victorians".