Wednesday 2 October 2024
The Allan Labor Government is preparing to sell off government-owned road repairer SprayLine Road Services (SRS) as it seeks every cent it can find to fix its ever-growing financial mess.
Reports today that SprayLine is being prepared for sale come as the Allan Labor Government faces a parlous financial outlook – $188 billion of debt, interest payments rising to $26 million per day and recent warnings from the global ratings agencies of a further credit rating downgrade for Victoria.
Labor has already privatised VicRoads licensing and registration division, the Land Titles Office and the Port of Melbourne.
SprayLine was established in 1997 and currently has contracts to maintain roads in Melbourne, the Loddon-Mallee region and The Grampians.
Shadow Treasurer, Brad Rowswell, said: “It’s clear the Allan Labor Government does not have a viable plan to pull Victoria out of the economic disaster they’ve created.
Victorians are in debt up to our eyeballs and we’re stuck with a mob that can’t manage money.”
“Victorians have the highest debt in the country, we pay the highest taxes in the country, what are we getting in return? A crime crisis, a housing crisis, a health crisis, declining standards in our schools, the list goes on.
The Allan Labor Government is tired and out of money. Having exhausted every possible taxation avenue, they are now selling off our furniture to pay the bills,” Mr Rowswell said.
“Victorians are expected to live within their means, why should it be any different for the Allan Labor Government?”
Shadow Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Danny O’Brien, said Labor is scraping the bottom of the barrel putting the government’s own road builder on the chopping block.
“The government needs to explain how selling off SprayLine will do anything to improve the appalling state of our roads.
“The government’s own survey last year showed 91 per cent of our roads were in poor or very poor condition – how is this going to improve that situation?
“This is a government that has run out of ideas – Labor can’t manage money, can’t manage our roads and its Victorian motorists suffering the consequences.”