Questions remain unanswered as the Labor Government faces renewed heat on how much money is being drained from water authorities to prop up Victoria’s budget.
The Minister for Water, Harriet Shing, failed to answer questions about the impact of capital repatriations on metro-based water corporations in a Public Accounts and Estimates Committee hearing.
Basic questions about capital repatriations including the dollar amount being pulled out of water corporations, and how this restricts the growth of the corporations went unanswered.
Shadow Minister for Water, Tim McCurdy, said the Minister was either not across her portfolio or simply refusing to be honest with Victorians.
“As cost-of-living rises, so too will Victorian water bills,” Mr McCurdy said.
“Victorians should not be kept in the dark about how much money the government is pulling out of water corporations, they deserve to know where their money is going.
“Water corporations must continue to invest in new infrastructure to deliver better services and find efficient and sustainable measures to drive down bills.
“They can not do this if the Government continues to raid their coffers to prop up Labor’s broken budget.
“This is just another example of the Andrews Labor Government interfering with independent bodies while Victorians pay for Labor’s financial incompetence.”