TREASURER:
On Saturday the people of Melbourne's Eastern Suburbs have the chance, the last chance to vote against tolls on the Scoresby Freeway. Steve Bracks has said that he will be looking at the result on Saturday, and as he said in the news on the 6th of October, ‘we will wait until Saturday and we will see what happens.' Now if the people of Melbourne's Outer Eastern Suburbs, strongly vote against the Labor Party on Saturday, we still have a chance to stop tolls on the Scoresby Freeway. There is nothing inevitable about tolls on the Scoresby Freeway. No contract has been signed to put tolls on the Scoresby Freeway. The Commonwealth Government has $560 million available to jointly fund with the State of Victoria, a freeway in the Scoresby corridor. A freeway without tolls. The Victorian Government will be receiving a windfall of $2 billion out of their GST over the next four years. They have ample money to construct a freeway. This freeway is to be constructed over four years, the State Government's contribution is $560 million, they are going to have a $2 billion windfall over that period.
There is another point I want to make today. There is one person that hasn't appeared in the Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne during this campaign and it is Mark Latham. Mark Latham has not been seen in the Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne during this campaign and there is a reason. Mark Latham can't appear in any electorate where the Scoresby Freeway is to be constructed, or which will be relieving pressure on local roads, because a vote for Latham is a vote for tolls on the Scoresby Freeway. Mark Latham wants tolls on the Scoresby Freeway. There is only one way that we can stop the tolls on the Scoresby Freeway and that is a vote for your local Liberal candidate on Saturday. Send a message to Latham, send a message to Bracks, no tolls on the Scoresby Freeway.
JOURNALIST:
Wouldn't you prefer people to be voting for you because you are doing a good job?
TREASURER:
I would prefer to people to vote for a freeway. If there is anybody who has any doubt on Saturday which Government will be building a freeway and which Government proposes to toll them for the rest of their lives, it is the Latham Labor Government that wants to toll them, it is the Howard Coalition Government that wants a freeway.
JOURNALIST:
Wouldn't you say that ad in the paper today that you just referred to is both wrong and misleading. Mr Bracks has never said that he will wait and see what happens about putting tolls on. It is fait a compli isn't it?
TREASURER:
It is not a fait a compli. No contract has been signed for tolls. None at all.
JOURNALIST:
As of this morning both consortia are saying that are being told it will be signed this week.
TREASURER:
Well isn't it amazing that Mr Bracks wants to announce the tolls after Saturday? Why has Mr Bracks held this contract off until after Saturday? Two possible reasons. One, he doesn't want people to know how much they are going to be paying. Secondly, one last chance to register, if you live in Melbourne's Eastern Suburbs, your vote for a freeway rather than a tollway. Let me make this absolutely clear. $560 million of Commonwealth money. It requires $560 million of State money. The Victorian Labor Government has $560 million. The windfall from the GST alone over the next four years will be $2 billion. Mr Bracks can afford to build a freeway and if enough Victorians in the Eastern Suburbs vote for their Liberal Candidates on Saturday Mr Bracks will be forced to build a freeway.
JOURNALIST:
But isn't it true it is worth $1.8 billion, shouldn't there be $900 million flowing from the Federal Government?
TREASURER:
It is entirely clear from the Expenditure Review Committee Minutes which has been released in the Victorian Parliament this week that the estimates on the road were $1 billion. $1 billion. That was the…
JOURNALIST:
But we all know it rose $1.8 billion so there should be $900 million coming from Federal and therefore the State could then afford it.
TREASURER:
…I am sorry we don't all know that because the ERC of the Victorian Government costed the project at $1 billion.
JOURNALIST:
Treasurer do you, on another matter, do you feel at all sheepish over the issue of the Treasury costings not backing you up on the claim of the black hole in the Labor tax policy?
TREASURER:
Not in the slightest. The Labor Party is still to submit, it is still to have costed its full tax policy. We are now less that 24 hours out from an election and Labor's tax policy has not yet been fully costed…
JOURNALIST:
But that is a different question…
TREASURER:
…and when it is fully costed it is entirely clear that it cannot add up.
JOURNALIST:
There is no black hole though is there, there is no $700 million black hole?
TREASURER:
No, no, I'm sorry, let me clarify. The, we say that the shortfall in Labor's tax policy is of the dimension of $2 billion…
JOURNALIST:
That is not what you were saying…
TREASURER:
…and the $2 billion has not been fully costed by the Treasury. Now, Labor has not had its full tax policy costed yet. We are 24 hours out from an election, this is an absolute scandal, the Australian Labor Party released its policy on the 7th of September. It put the policy in for costing after the deadline and the results are not yet back.
JOURNALIST:
No there is no arguing though is there with Treasury Officials when they say on this point that there is no $700 million black hole?
TREASURER:
There is a, Labor's full policy does not add up. It is over $2 billion short. When the full policy is costed, you can't just take a little bit out. When the full policy is costed it is clear it does not add up, there is no doubt about that.
JOURNALIST:
Do you trust the Treasury Officials?
TREASURER:
Of course when we get the full costing, but we could have had the full costing within five days of the 7th of September. This policy was released on the 7th of September. It could have been put in for costing on the 7th of September. We are now the 8th of October. It takes five days. It was not put in because the Labor Party didn't want to have its full policy independently scrutinised.
JOURNALIST:
But Treasurer you say you can't take one little bit out of a policy and analyse that, that is is exactly what you did when you stated your economic credibility on this…
TREASURER:
I am sorry…
JOURNALIST:
…(inaudible) policy…
TREASURER:
…I am sorry, I am sorry. We took the full policy, we said the full policy was short by over $2 billion. We still haven't got the reply on the full policy.
JOURNALIST:
Do you stand by your earlier comments that you will not make any challenge to John Howard if your Party is successful?
TREASURER:
I stand by everything that I have said.
JOURNALIST:
Absolutely no (inaudible), absolutely…
TREASURER:
As I have said, I stand by everything that I have said.
JOURNALIST:
…and if you become aware of any group wanting to tap John Howard on the shoulder, you would stop that?
TREASURER:
I stand by everything that I have said.
JOURNALIST:
If you lose tomorrow do you regret not making a challenge last year?
TREASURER:
I stand by everything I have said.
JOURNALIST:
What have you said on that subject?
TREASURER:
Thank you very much.