Claims by Member for Gippsland East Craig Ingram that The Nationals do not support the redevelopment of the Bastion Point boat ramp are utterly misleading, Member for Gippsland South and Leader of The Nationals Peter Ryan said today.
Mr Ryan said The Nationals fully supported the redevelopment of the ramp which posed a threat to the safety to users in its present form.
“My Nationals colleagues the Member for Eastern Region Peter Hall and Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester have long campaigned for safe boat launching facilities at Bastion Point,” Mr Ryan said.
“This is a very important project and we’ve made every effort to make sure local people have their say in the process.”
But in a series of bizarre and scurrilous claims, Mr Ingram today accused The Nationals of ‘abandoning’ the project.
“Mr Ingram’s latest rant has been based on a comment made by Shadow Planning Minister Matthew Guy on Stateline last night; a comment which Mr Ingram has knowingly taken out of context,” Mr Ryan said.
“Mr Guy mentioned the project as one of many across Victoria where communities are justifiably concerned that due process has not been followed by the Brumby Government.”
The comments referred to the Upper House inquiry that will begin this week into Planning Minister Justin Madden’s handling of planning following revelations his office planned a sham consultation on the redevelopment of Melbourne’s Windsor Hotel.
Mr Ryan said he was unsurprised by Mr Ingram’s shrill attack on Coalition MPs, given his history of kowtowing to the Brumby Labor Government.
“Mr Ingram put the Brumby Government in power and he refuses to commit to not doing the same thing again,” Mr Ryan said.
“This government has banned cattle from the high country and failed utterly on its promise to return flows to the Snowy River.
“Mr Ingram is now resorting to foolish claims in a ridiculous attempt to discredit the Liberal Nationals Coalition and distract from his own failures,” Mr Ryan said.
Media contact: Stephanie Ryan (03) 9651 8520
