MURPHY:
Well the Federal election campaign continues to roll on, and today, the band wagon was in Melbourne's East, or at least part of the band wagon was. Federal Treasurer Peter Costello has promised an extra $120 million for the Scoresby Freeway provided the Bracks Labor Government stands by its original pledge not to make that freeway a tollway. Mr Costello joins us on the Wednesday edition of 3AW drive time, Treasurer, good afternoon.
TREASURER:
Good afternoon.
MURPHY:
How deep is the money bag you are drawing this money from?
TREASURER:
Well of course it is money for constructing probably the most important road in Melbourne, because this is a road which can bring traffic out of the eastern suburbs where about a million people, more than a million people live and put it onto the ring road and onto the freeway.
MURPHY:
I must admit my initial reaction was that it is a bit tough having to pay a pollie $120 million to get him to keep a promise.
TREASURER:
Ah well, you know I have got here a letter that Steve Bracks wrote to every person in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne before his election. Let me just read you, it is called Bracks Listens and Acts, Steve Bracks, Premier of Victoria. “Labor will build the Scoresby Freeway on time and on budget. These are not just election time promises. They are my firm commitment to you and your family, and they will be honoured.” That is what Steve Bracks said before the last State election. He personally signed and mailed this letter to all of the people in the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne. He said, vote for me and I will build the Scoresby Freeway. Now the Commonwealth Government has said that this is a very important road, it is a Road of National Importance, the Commonwealth will come in, it will fund it fifty per cent. We made available the original amount of money which was required to build it, which was $445 million each. Now because Bracks has been delaying on all of this, the cost has gone up. We have said we will meet the additional cost fifty per cent, so there is another $120 million. Now, all that Mr Bracks has to do is keep his word, what is the problem?
MURPHY:
Well it doesn't look as though he is going to …
TREASURER:
I don't know about that, I am going to stop you there. Steve Bracks …
MURPHY:
He has dismissed it this afternoon …
TREASURER:
Well, no, no, no. Steve Bracks is trying to say to people, oh, look, you are going to get a toll, you know, give up fighting, you are going to get a toll. What I would say to people is this. If there is a big vote against Labor in the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne on the 9th of October, there will not be tolls on that freeway. I make that prediction. If there is a big protest vote against Labor on the 9th of October, Steve Bracks will be forced to honour his promise. Don't give up.
MURPHY:
Well I suppose, no, you should never give up, particularly when it comes to the issue of whether we need to, or don't need to pay tolls. This extra $120 million though, Treasurer. There is a lot of money being splashed about. How deep is the money bag?
TREASURER:
Well, actually, you know this is $120 million, and it is a substantial commitment in relation to the Scoresby freeway, but it is affordable within the Commonwealth's Budget position. We have got an Auslink programme, over several years, of $11.8 billion, so that gives you some idea of the road building dimensions throughout the Commonwealth, but this is affordable within the context of our overall commitments.
MURPHY:
Just quickly on another issue before we go because we are a bit pressed for time today with all of the goings-on down at Hawthorn, and the appointment of a new coach down there, how is your progress going in terms of constructing a demolition job on Mark Latham's tax package?
TREASURER:
Well, the tax package is sinking fast.
MURPHY:
As fast as you would like?
TREASURER:
Oh, well, it is sinking fast. You know it turned out he had got caught that he had rigged the tables. I don't know if your listeners have caught up with that …
MURPHY:
By not including the $600 family payment …
TREASURER:
Yes, he tried to rig the tables to make it look as if people would be better off under Labor's policy, and he has been pinned.
MURPHY:
And that's the first instalment, and finally I guess what I am getting at is, can we expect another salvo from you, and if so how soon will that be?
TREASURER:
Oh, there will be more salvos. Oh yeah, because this is full of holes. But I think the proper thing to do now would be for him to submit it for costing. And then it can be costed and we will know the full cost of it because at the moment he is hiding it from costing, and I think I would like to make a few points once it has been costed. So we would say to Mr Latham, put it in for costing, have the decency to do that, and then we will have a lot more to say about it.
MURPHY:
Well a long way to go, good luck with the rest of the campaign.
TREASURER:
Thank you very much. Thanks.