Malcolm Turnbull’s re-election plan revealed
AN explosive leak has revealed Malcolm Turnbull personally ticked off on a massive $7.6 billion roads and rail package aimed at saving marginal seats across the country as part of his re-election blueprint.
The detailed list, leaked to the Herald Sun just days after new Prime Minister Scott Morrison took office, reveals secretly approved infrastructure projects were included in May’s Budget for the Coalition to one-by-one unveil in the lead-up to the next election.
The fresh leak threatens to inflame already bitter divisions within the government.
Under internal pressure over the issue since last year, Mr Turnbull oversaw a strategic development of 10 major projects that are fully funded and listed in the most recent Budget under “decisions taken but not yet announced”.
About $1.6 billion will be poured into key Queensland battlegrounds aimed at saving MPs including George Christensen, Luke Howarth, Michelle Landry and Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton — the man who brought on the leadership challenge that ousted Mr Turnbull.
But Victoria will only receive $150 million, earmarked for Liberal MP Sarah Henderson’s Geelong seat of Corangamite.
The leaked list will likely now deny Mr Morrison and his infrastructure minister, deputy PM Michael McCormack, of half a dozen strategic “good news” stories in media outlets across four states in the coming months.
Among the major projects is $1.5 billion towards early planning and pre-construction of a high-speed rail network along the east coast, with priority on linking Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Newcastle.
More than $3 billion will also be poured into a host of Western Sydney seats as part of a north-south rail link to create hundreds of jobs and provide a major transport link between the North West, Western Sydney Airport major south west growth areas.
It’s understood the announcement will be made in conjunction with the NSW Government ahead of its re-election campaign when it goes to the polls early next year.
A senior Liberal source said: ”others will no doubt claim this stuff as their own but Malcolm had already funded this stuff in the Budget. We were doing it.”
“These MPs knew very this stuff was coming yet — and that it had been fully paid for — yet they were still agitating publicly about it.”
Also among the projects is a $1.2 billion for Adelaide’s north-south corridor project which will upgrade a major thoroughfare to cope with the projected number of vehicles and size of freight carriers.
Geelong, which includes Victoria’s most marginal seat of Corangamite, will also gain $150 million under Commonwealth Cities Deal while Darwin will gain $100 million under the same fund.
Infrastructure and Transport Minister Michael McCormack last night told the Herald Sun the government would “continue to invest in infrastructure priorities to make sure Australians make it to their destination sooner and safer”.
As Mr Turnbull’s treasurer, Mr Morrison formed part of the economic review committee which was consulted and approved the package.
The new PM has appointed Victorian MP Alan Tudge as the “minister for congesting busting” who had taken the cities and population portfolio.
The Herald Sun understands the federal government remains willing to add potentially billions of dollars to the federal contribution to building the North East Link, as well as the controversial East West Link, which depends on the outcome of November’s state election.
Victoria had been promised $1.75 billion by Mr Turnbull to build the “missing link” in the Metropolitan Ring Road, on top of a longstanding $3 billion federal commitment to East West.
Mr Dutton, who failed in his attempt to seize the leadership despite forcing a leadership spill, cited regional infrastructure and a reduction in annual migrant intake as part of his reason.
“We need to allow our infrastructure to catch up. We (also) need to rebuild many of our rural towns who are suffering,” he told 3AW.
Labor’s infrastructure spokesman Anthony Albanese said it was a case of “too little too late” in the lead-up to an election when “they are desperate to hide their failures”.
The Opposition has committed to four of the projects, in Mackay, Carseldine and Rockhampton, and pledge about $3 billion towards the Western Sydney north-south rail link.
“Because of the Coalition’s cuts, traffic congestion in Australian cities has worsened under its watch to the point that it is undermining the economy and damaging Australians’ quality of life.”
