Dear Editor,
Travelling the length and breadth of our state, I’ve met incredible people doing great things in their communities.
It’s something I enjoy the most about my role as Leader of The National Party.
But no matter what direction I head, the community sentiment is the same, and it’s something I have witnessed firsthand – our road network is crumbling right before our eyes.
By this point in the lead up to the election, we’ve heard that sentence a million times over.
But our regional communities have to deal with it every day; these are people who rely on Victoria’s road network to make a living and keep our state moving.
It must be said, this neglect doesn’t happen by accident, and it certainly doesn’t happen overnight.
Our roads have perished under the neglect of the Andrews Labor Government which has pared road maintenance to the bone.
This budget, it is approximately $600 million for all of Victoria, which has more than 150,000 kilometres of road.
Daniel Andrews and Labor try to pull the wool over our eyes with a spring blitz to patch up the cracks and potholes – but I don’t need to tell you that these band aids only last a matter of weeks.
I am not going to give political spin. The fact that the roads have been neglected for so long means we have a mammoth task ahead to bring them up to scratch – but I am up for the job.
That is why the Liberals and The Nationals have set aside $1 billion every year for 10 years to fix the roads properly – making them safer for us and our vehicles.
There is a clear choice this election.
A vote for Labor is for more burst tyres, buckled rims and speed reductions on country roads.
The Liberals and The Nationals have a long-term plan to improve our road infrastructure.
The choice is yours this November.
Peter Walsh
Leader of The Nationals
Member for Murray Plains