Media release: Labor restates its position on WestConnex: not one dollar

Labor infrastructure spokesman Anthony Albanese repeated his position on Sydney radio this morning, that if Labor wins the next election there will be 'not one dollar' from the Commonwealth for WestConnex:

JONES: There will not be one dollar from the Federal Labor government for this WestConnex project? Is that correct?

ALBANESE: That's correct.

[CONT’D]

JONES: Well what did you mean though at the Balmain town hall on May 19 when you said if I am the Transport Minister, there will not be one dollar from the Federal Labor Government for this project? What did you mean by that?

ALBANESE: Just that.

(Alan Jones Breakfast Show, 2GB, 31 May 2016)

The Commonwealth Government has committed $1.5 billion in grant funding and a $2 billion concessional loan to WestConnex.

To date only $750 million of the grant has been paid to NSW, with another $450 million due by 30 June – leaving $300 million yet to be paid until after the election.

None of the $2 billion concessional loan has yet been drawn down, as is made clear in Budget paper Number 1, 2016-17, page 3-33.

$38 million will have been paid by 2 July, leaving $1.962 billion of concessional loan yet to be paid until after the election.

The key issue is clear - if Labor comes to Government Mr Albanese will become the Minister at a point when over two billion dollars remains to be paid by the Commonwealth to the NSW Government for WestConnex. That being so, will Mr Albanese prevent that money being paid – as his 'not one dollar from the federal Government' promise would indicate? And if not, what does his 'not one dollar' promise actually mean?

Then there is the position of Labor Deputy Leader Tanya Plibersek, who has also proclaimed her opposition to WestConnex, saying on her website that “WestConnex cannot and should not proceed – the impact on Newtown and surrounding communities would be too great.”

Only a Turnbull Coalition Government can be relied on to work cooperatively with the NSW Baird Liberal Government to deliver WestConnex and the benefits it will provide to the people of western and southwestern Sydney.