Jacinta Allan - 49th Victorian Premier.

[peetoo]

I should have seen this coming!! Point well made. However, no other state of Australia has amassed debt like this state, nor am I aware of any state having amassed record debt and still ploughing on with a massive capital infrastructure project (SRL) for which we have seen no business case or detailed budget.

I heard Tim Pallas on the radio yesterday. He was asked whether he expected credit rating agencies to downgrade Victoria's credit rating further. He sounded nervous and said he didn't think so. When he was pressed he conceded it was a possibility and this had not been factored into forward estimates.

No business case? You are persisting with that failed liberal talking point?

 

[Pie eyed]

Albo is in town and swaps akubra hats for hard hats as we piddle more money down the drain on projects we will be paying for until the second coming! Does anyone else hear the voice of Bugs Bunny when he talks?

No matter which "team" is in Government we will be paying the money.
Both can be less than frugal, however Labor spend more than they estimated on public infrastructure and social services while the LNP spend more on lurks, slush funds, illegal payments to their family companies, themselves personally, their inbred children, Mining magnates birthday parties, flights for pets and just all round theft and fraud.

 

[JackFlash]

No matter which "team" is in Government we will be paying the money.
Both can be less than frugal, however Labor spend more than they estimated on public infrastructure and social services while the LNP spend more on lurks, slush funds, illegal payments to their family companies, themselves personally, their inbred children, Mining magnates birthday parties, flights for pets and just all round theft and fraud.

$190 billion in debt, no matter what anyone says, this has doomed Victoria for generations. Even Jacinta knows that now, her former boss has ruined the place leaving her holding the can.

 

[Xtreme]

Victoria better vote her out - even if she's up against Matthew "he's really our GUY this time" Guy - for his 44543554th tilt at becoming premier

 

[eddiesmith]

Shouting "but the debt!" is just one of many Liberal Party classic talking points that gets trotted put every time Labor is in power.

No one is listening this time around.
Kos Samaras summed it up nicely

But the problem is they are so badly in debt and wasting billions on their pet projects that they can’t even fund the basics of the state and protect Victorians.

The fire services in this state have been neglected for 10 years and are in dire straits and yet there’s no money for them but we will commit to a $200 billion+ project…

Ambulance services are falling apart and they can’t find any money for them.

They’ve got no money to fund the police services either. It’s great in 50 years there’ll be a train service no one uses, if anyone has survived because the Labor government can’t even properly protect its citizens.

 

[Sttew]

No business case? You are persisting with that failed liberal talking point?

Ok. Where is it? And don’t give me the glossy brochure.

 

[peetoo]

Ok. Where is it? And don’t give me the glossy brochure.

So if I don’t provide it, there is no business case? Clap clap clap

It’s you making wild statements. Repeat it often enough it’s the truth eh?

 

[evolved2]

Don't forget the $1.6m to $1.8m per day for the desal plant for about another 20 years.

Yeah, horrible decision. I wouldn't have trusted the Libs to do the right thing either - a cheaper and environmentally cleaner alternative was available.

 

[The Punter]

No business case? You are persisting with that failed liberal talking point?

Business case released in 2021 Sttew - https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/library/suburban-rail-loop/business-and-investment-case

But the project was announced in 2018. Just like with the EWL, the business case came well after the commitment. That is the way with modern politics - a business case development before a commitment means the project would leak before commitment which is unacceptable to modern governments.

 

[Sttew]

Business case released in 2021 Sttew - https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/library/suburban-rail-loop/business-and-investment-case

But the project was announced in 2018. Just like with the EWL, the business case came well after the commitment. That is the way with modern politics - a business case development before a commitment means the project would leak before commitment which is unacceptable to modern governments.

I had a quick scan. Several times the reports say the SRL East is expected to cost between $30.0 and $34.5 billion across 14 years. I stand to be corrected, but nowhere could I see any analysis of how those figures were calculated. I thought the purpose of a business plan is to assess the viability of a business opportunity, i.e., do we proceed or not.

 

[The Punter]

I had a quick scan. Several times the reports say the SRL East is expected to cost between $30.0 and $34.5 billion across 14 years. I stand to be corrected, but nowhere could I see any analysis of how those figures were calculated. I thought the purpose of a business plan is to assess the viability of a business opportunity, i.e., do we proceed or not.

Fair enough, but a business case there is, regardless of quality or usefulness.

 

[JackFlash]

"This is the biggest hospital project in this nations history" - Dan "The Man" Andrews.
Jacinta has scrapped the idea above Arden station less than 12 months after Dan decided to do a bunk. There is no defence for any of this, it keeps getting worse.

 

[hawkman]

Lol. I should do this anytime I promise something

Victoria fell short of its lofty elective surgery promise – so it cut the target

The Allan government has walked away from a vow to permanently deliver an extra 40,000 elective surgeries annually by 2024, lowering its targets back to pre-pandemic levels.

www.theage.com.au

The Allan government has walked away from a promise to permanently deliver an extra 40,000 elective surgeries annually by 2024, lowering its targets back to pre-pandemic levels.
Despite Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas once vowing she wouldn’t accept “anything less” than an ambitious goal of 240,000 surgeries a year, the state has now cut the target before it was ever achieved.

 

[Xtreme]

Lol how can they be proud of their efforts ? Diabolical.

 

[Sttew]

Lol how can they be proud of their efforts ? Diabolical.

Even the spin used by this government to justify cutbacks, cancellations and broken promises is laughable. The one that amused me was the glossy cover of the State Budget Report with two words splashed across the page- ‘HELPING FAMILIES’.

 

[Crankyhawk]

"This is the biggest hospital project in this nations history" - Dan "The Man" Andrews.
Jacinta has scrapped the idea above Arden station less than 12 months after Dan decided to do a bunk. There is no defence for any of this, it keeps getting worse.

The claim is that electromagnetic radiation from train line could interfere with machines. Whether it was a practical thing to check pre announcement I don’t know - better than building it and going ****…
I think as response they will increase size of RMH. The staff for the Arden street were going to come from there anyway and I think (though not a staff member there) that the plan was to move outpatient services there and free space for inpatients at RMH

 

[Crankyhawk]

Lol. I should do this anytime I promise something

Victoria fell short of its lofty elective surgery promise – so it cut the target

The Allan government has walked away from a vow to permanently deliver an extra 40,000 elective surgeries annually by 2024, lowering its targets back to pre-pandemic levels.

www.theage.com.au

As an ED worker I am aware that the elective surgery target is a natural enemy of our ability to get bed access from the ED. So increasing ED demand and acuity would have broken ability to achieve this, and of course out of self interest I will prioritise bed access over elective surgery. Of course surgeons are likely to have the opposite view

 

[hawkman]

As an ED worker I am aware that the elective surgery target is a natural enemy of our ability to get bed access from the ED. So increasing ED demand and acuity would have broken ability to achieve this, and of course out of self interest I will prioritise bed access over elective surgery. Of course surgeons are likely to have the opposite view

Sounds like what was announced was never achievable, which is a recurring theme. You can see the promise of number of homes built going the same way.

I think the worst part is dropping the target for next year below the amount that is likely to be done this year

 

[Gralin]

Sounds like what was announced was never achievable, which is a recurring theme. You can see the promise of number of homes built going the same way.

I think the worst part is dropping the target for next year below the amount that is likely to be done this year

It's not that they can't do stuff it's that they don't want to

Make an announcement to get rid of the pressure

Wait a while

Come up with an excuse for why you can't do the thing you never planned on doing

 

[Sttew]

Nothing new in the Federal Budget for SRL. Is this the Federal Government telling the Allen Government it isn't going to waste any more money on a white elephant?

 

[Not Important]

thought the next election was more likely than not lead to a minority gov’t. but if the libs can shut up deeming and the ratbag right pesutto might just win in a shallow majority.

 

[Gaston]

Ok. Where is it? And don’t give me the glossy brochure.

I used to work at the Dept of Transport, we had rail network maps for the next 30 + years, detailing all future projects.
This white elephant was never included, wasn't even an idea from the planning division.

Whether it is something that will be a key transport piece in 50 years is unknown, but the question is, why is the current govt so determined to deliver it?

After Metro Tunnel we were then going to run straight into the 2nd tunnel under the Yarra from Newport to Clifton Hill, via Fishermans bend, that aint happening now.

 

[The Punter]

I used to work at the Dept of Transport, we had rail network maps for the next 30 + years, detailing all future projects.
This white elephant was never included, wasn't even an idea from the planning division.

Whether it is something that will be a key transport piece in 50 years is unknown, but the question is, why is the current govt so determined to deliver it?

After Metro Tunnel we were then going to run straight into the 2nd tunnel under the Yarra from Newport to Clifton Hill, via Fishermans bend, that aint happening now.

There has been some reporting on the initial SRL decision

Thrown in a loop: How Daniel Andrews’ biggest project was cooked up behind closed doors

Originally codenamed Operation Halo, this was an infrastructure project so secret that board members of the government agency responsible for its delivery knew nothing about it until it was announced.

www.theage.com.au

 

[Carn The Berries]

There has been some reporting on the initial SRL decision

Thrown in a loop: How Daniel Andrews’ biggest project was cooked up behind closed doors

Originally codenamed Operation Halo, this was an infrastructure project so secret that board members of the government agency responsible for its delivery knew nothing about it until it was announced.

www.theage.com.au

Very interesting read! Shines a very bright light on how much of a cloak and dagger operation it was to get this thing "off the ground". Fancy setting up an independent advisory body to "depoliticise" infrastructure planning, then totally shut them out in the interest of political expediency.

If the Victorian Liberals are any chance of winning the next election (which I think is still highly unlikely) this is the sort of thing they need to focus on. Andrews may be gone, but it's by no means a new team at the helm.

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

I used to work at the Dept of Transport, we had rail network maps for the next 30 + years, detailing all future projects.
This white elephant was never included, wasn't even an idea from the planning division.

Whether it is something that will be a key transport piece in 50 years is unknown, but the question is, why is the current govt so determined to deliver it?

After Metro Tunnel we were then going to run straight into the 2nd tunnel under the Yarra from Newport to Clifton Hill, via Fishermans bend, that aint happening now.

That probably reflects on the CBD centric planning. An attitude of "A train is just for getting to the city and back and nothing else"

I have no doubt by the end of this century a need for something better than a bus will be needed for cross suburban travel.