The Age – Letters: 7th June 2014
Too shifty by half
Daniel Andrews has said for a year that Victorians must get a vote before the $8 billion East West Link contracts are signed. He can now make that happen. A no-confidence vote and an early election lets Frankstonians sack Geoff Shaw and everyone decide on Denis Napthine’s plan to trash Royal Park, the inner suburbs and Doncaster rail.
Instead Mr Andrews proposes to throw away his trump card by only pushing to expel Mr Shaw and let Dr Napthine muddle along until late August when he can sign the EWL contracts. He has even committed himself to passing the budget in a Shaw-less Parliament. No strings about delaying funds for the link until voters get their say.
Mr Andrews’ real game is clear. Posture as the prissiest defender of ”standards” by expelling Mr Shaw, let the East West Link travesty proceed to please the road lobby and union bureaucrats, then wax righteous over the link at an election. It’s a pathetic strategy. Inner-suburban voters will see right through it. The East West Link will be paved with the political corpses of defeated Labor MLAs, and deservedly so.
Alec Kahn, Brunswick West
