31-October-2008
Portfolio Media Releases, Infrastructure
Media reports in “The Age” newspaper this morning add to Coalition fears that some senior members of the Rudd Government are looking to use the money put aside for major infrastructure projects as a political slush fund.
The suggestion that the legislation for the various infrastructure funds was pulled last week, minutes before being introduced into the Parliament, because the Finance Minister was concerned that the Minister for Infrastructure was looking to play politics with billions of dollars of taxpayer’s money is a matter of great concern.
This report follows earlier reports that Mr Rudd instructed the NSW Government to abandon the North West metro proposal in Sydney because there were no votes in it for Labor.
After failing for 12 months to take even one infrastructure decision, we now face the prospect of grubby politics dictating the Rudd Government’s decisions on major infrastructure projects.
The legislation must be amended to ensure a totally transparent process. Anything less would be a scandal.
Media contact: Stuart Eaton, 0433 298 620