Federal Labor candidates for Dunkley and Flinders have been caught out trying to deceive the public on the electrification and duplication of the Frankston Metro line to Baxter.
The Liberal National Government has delivered $3 million for a business case and a further $225 million dollars for construction, only to be met with no investment from Labor. However, local Labor candidates are now spruiking the rail line expansion as part of their pitch to the public.
Federal Member for Flinders, the Hon. Greg Hunt MP and Federal Member for Dunkley, Chris Crewther MP, said these lies showed Bill Shorten and Labor were asleep at the switch on local issues.
“Bill Shorten’s candidates simply cannot get their facts straight when it comes to Frankston to Baxter,” Mr Hunt and Mr Crewther said.
“The Liberal National Government has delivered $228 million for this project, only to see Labor kick this project down the road and invest nothing.”
“We are the first Government in 100 years to deliver funding to this project, and for Bill Shorten’s candidates to attempt to misinform the public is deeply disappointing. It shows that they have no plan for our community.”
“They have nothing to deliver for the communities they wish to represent, so they are re-announcing funding delivered by the Coalition Government in 2018.
“Labor have stalled, refused to fund and now whitewashed their own delays.”
Labor’s state representative for Frankston, Paul Edbrooke MP, was last week unable to confirm when the business case for the rail line would be completed.
Mr Hunt and Mr Crewther said this showed Labor’s lack of planning for the project.
“This issue is of such little importance to Labor, they could not be bothered to even fund a business case for the project,” Mr Crewther and Mr Hunt said.
“The only reason it was able to proceed was thanks to $3 million in funding, delivered by the Liberal National Government.”
“Labor has left $228 million in delivered Federal funding sitting at the station, all to play politics on this vital issue.”
“Mr Shorten’s candidates need to stop taking credit for delivered Coalition Government investment and focus on getting their state counterparts to match our funding.”