Victoria shortchanged in federal infrastructure, says deputy premier
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Version 0 of 1. Victorians are receiving hundreds of dollars less per person than their interstate counterparts when it comes to federal infrastructure spending, says the state government. Victorians are getting just $83 per person for major projects over the next five years. This compares with $342 per capita Queensland is getting from the federal government for infrastructure projects, while Western Australia is set to receive $282 and New South Wales $272, the state’s deputy premier, James Merlino said. Merlino said Victoria was clearly being dudded and the prime minister was putting politics ahead of the interests of Victorians. “Tony Abbott is punishing Victorians for voting Labor at the last state election,” he said. But the shadow attorney general, John Pesutto, said the government and the premier, Daniel Andrews, needed to stop blaming the federal government and get on with building infrastructure. He said it was the government’s decision to rip up the East West Link contracts that saw federal funding go elsewhere. “We want federal funding in Victoria,” Pesutto said. “The Coalition strongly supports federal funding for Victoria, but that’s likely to happen more if Daniel Andrews commits to major infrastructure in Victoria, including road infrastructure and public transport infrastructure.” |