Thursday 26 September 2024
It’s been one year since Jacinta Allan became Premier and no one in regional Victoria is blowing out a candle to celebrate.
Premier Allan has dudded us all – the long list of bad news includes broken housing promises, “Big Build” blowouts, crumbling roads, crippling debt, soaring taxes and a health system in disarray and heading for mergers.
The Nationals have labelled it the Unhappy Anniversary and we urge concerned regional Victorians to go to www.unhappyanniversary.com.au and leave a message.
There is no shortage of potential subjects of discontent given regional areas continue to miss out.
One statistic says it all: Regional Victoria provides 25 per cent of the state’s population, yet receives only about 10 per cent of total infrastructure funding.
Leader of the Nationals, Peter Walsh, said the Premier’s opening year has been a major let down.
“Regional Victorians would be very disappointed that although they now have a Premier who lives regionally, nothing has changed,” Mr Walsh said.
“The Premier has overseen one budget in her time in office and it is more of the same.
“Spending on city projects continue to blow out as regional Victorians suffer.
“Imagine what could be done with the billions of dollars in big city cost blowouts to fix our roads and protect and preserve our regional health services.”