Neil Mitchell questions why top bureaucrat couldn’t answer cost blow out of level crossing removal project

Neil Mitchell has criticised Victoria’s “top money bureaucrat” for failing to answer questions on the blow out of the level crossing removal project.

In December the Auditor-General revealed the project had ballooned out by as much as 38 per cent.

In a Public Accounts and Estimates meeting yesterday, the Opposition’s Tim Smith questioned Victoria’s Head of Treasury and Finance David Martine about the project’s budget.

Mr Smith: “How do you explain such an extraordinary cost blowout of between $2.3-3.3 billion on that project?”

Mr Martine: “I’m not really in a position to go through in detail on this particular project.”

Neil Mitchell said Mr Martine either didn’t know, or wouldn’t answer.

“Does that mean he doesn’t know or he won’t say? Neither is acceptable.”