East West Link blow out: Jeff Kennett says government has ‘set fire to money’
Premier Daniel Andrews should have considered building the East West Link after he discovered the significant costs involved with cancelling contracts, says former Premier Jeff Kennett.
The former Victorian Liberal Premier said both the former Liberal government and the current Labor government were responsible for the financial blow out, which is now said to have cost the state $1.1 billion.
‘I’m very disappointed about this as every Victorian should be,’ Mr Kennett told Ross and John.
‘I wouldn’t have rushed in to conclude this contract just prior to an election.
‘Having said that, Daniel Andrews went in to the election saying he wasn’t going to build it but it wasn’t going to cost Victorians a cent.’
‘Once he found out that the tearing up of those contracts was going to cost us a lot of money and an important piece of infrastructure, in my opinion he should have allowed that very necessary piece of infrastructure to be built.’
Mr Kennett said it has weakened Daniel Andrew’s position in Canberra.
‘How can you expect another party to give you money when you’re setting fire to an incinerator full of money in your own town?’
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