Wednesday, 28 August 2024

Suburban Rail Loop

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:18): My question is to the Premier. Will the Premier guarantee that the final cost of Suburban Rail Loop East will be no more than $34.5 billion?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:18): Our government is committed to delivering the Suburban Rail Loop project, particularly the Suburban Rail Loop East section of the project, a project the Victorian community have voted twice for, and we are working to deliver that project within that $34.5 billion envelope.

John PESUTTO (Hawthorn – Leader of the Opposition) (14:18): The Auditor-General has found that Suburban Rail Loop East will ‘be more than 11 to 20 per cent over its current approved budget’. A 20 per cent blowout means a total cost of over $40 billion. Is the Auditor-General wrong?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:19): I reiterate my answer to the earlier question. We are committed to delivering the Suburban Rail Loop project in the terms that we committed to the Victorian community –

John Pesutto: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, we just want a straight answer from the Premier. Is the Auditor-General wrong?

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

Jacinta ALLAN: There is not a project that we have delivered that those opposite have not been opposed to. Whether it is the level crossings –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Member for Bulleen, you can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Bulleen withdrew from chamber.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is debating the question and evading again.

The SPEAKER: I ask the Premier to come back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: I have answered the question in the context of the budget, and in terms of delivering the Suburban Rail Loop project, whether it is level crossings, Metro Tunnel, North East Link, the West Gate Tunnel, suburban roads –

John Pesutto interjected.

Jacinta ALLAN: The Leader of the Opposition asks me what they have in common –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is defying your ruling.

The SPEAKER: I ask the Premier to come back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: I spoke in terms of how we get on and deliver infrastructure projects. The common element of all of these projects is that the Leader of the Opposition and the Liberals oppose them every step of the way.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is unpleasantly debating the question.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order. The Premier has concluded her answer.