TRANSCRIPT

THE HON PETER COSTELLO MP

TREASURER

Doorstop Interview

Site of Scoresby Freeway

Corner of Warrock and Anglemere Avenues

Donvale,Victoria

Friday, 8 October 2004

12 noon

 

TREASURER:

On Saturday the people of Melbourne’s Eastern Suburbs have the chance,

the last chance to vote against tolls on the Scoresby Freeway. Steve Bracks

has said that he will be looking at the result on Saturday, and as he said

in the news on the 6^th of October, ‘we will wait until

Saturday and we will see what happens.’ Now if the people of Melbourne’s

Outer Eastern Suburbs, strongly vote against the Labor Party on Saturday,

we still have a chance to stop tolls on the Scoresby Freeway. There is nothing

inevitable about tolls on the Scoresby Freeway. No contract has been signed

to put tolls on the Scoresby Freeway. The Commonwealth Government has $560

million available to jointly fund with the State of Victoria, a freeway

in the Scoresby corridor. A freeway without tolls. The Victorian Government

will be receiving a windfall of $2 billion out of their GST over the next

four years. They have ample money to construct a freeway. This freeway is

to be constructed over four years, the State Government’s contribution is

$560 million, they are going to have a $2 billion windfall over that period.

There is another point I want to make today. There is one person that hasn’t

appeared in the Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne during this campaign and it

is Mark Latham. Mark Latham has not been seen in the Eastern Suburbs of

Melbourne during this campaign and there is a reason. Mark Latham can’t

appear in any electorate where the Scoresby Freeway is to be constructed,

or which will be relieving pressure on local roads, because a vote for Latham

is a vote for tolls on the Scoresby Freeway. Mark Latham wants tolls on

the Scoresby Freeway. There is only one way that we can stop the tolls on

the Scoresby Freeway and that is a vote for your local Liberal candidate

on Saturday. Send a message to Latham, send a message to Bracks, no tolls

on the Scoresby Freeway.

JOURNALIST:

Wouldn’t you prefer people to be voting for you because you are doing a

good job?

TREASURER:

I would prefer to people to vote for a freeway. If there is anybody who

has any doubt on Saturday which Government will be building a freeway and

which Government proposes to toll them for the rest of their lives, it is

the Latham Labor Government that wants to toll them, it is the Howard Coalition

Government that wants a freeway.

JOURNALIST:

Wouldn’t you say that ad in the paper today that you just referred to is

both wrong and misleading. Mr Bracks has never said that he will wait and

see what happens about putting tolls on. It is fait a compli isn’t

it?

TREASURER:

It is not a fait a compli. No contract has been signed for tolls.

None at all.

JOURNALIST:

As of this morning both consortia are saying that are being told it will

be signed this week.

TREASURER:

Well isn’t it amazing that Mr Bracks wants to announce the tolls after

Saturday? Why has Mr Bracks held this contract off until after Saturday?

Two possible reasons. One, he doesn’t want people to know how much they

are going to be paying. Secondly, one last chance to register, if you live

in Melbourne’s Eastern Suburbs, your vote for a freeway rather than a tollway.

Let me make this absolutely clear. $560 million of Commonwealth money. It

requires $560 million of State money. The Victorian Labor Government has

$560 million. The windfall from the GST alone over the next four years will

be $2 billion. Mr Bracks can afford to build a freeway and if enough Victorians

in the Eastern Suburbs vote for their Liberal Candidates on Saturday Mr

Bracks will be forced to build a freeway.

JOURNALIST:

But isn’t it true it is worth $1.8 billion, shouldn’t there be $900 million

flowing from the Federal Government?

TREASURER:

It is entirely clear from the Expenditure Review Committee Minutes which

has been released in the Victorian Parliament this week that the estimates

on the road were $1 billion. $1 billion. That was the…

JOURNALIST:

But we all know it rose $1.8 billion so there should be $900 million coming

from Federal and therefore the State could then afford it.

TREASURER:

…I am sorry we don’t all know that because the ERC of the Victorian

Government costed the project at $1 billion.

JOURNALIST:

Treasurer do you, on another matter, do you feel at all sheepish over the

issue of the Treasury costings not backing you up on the claim of the black

hole in the Labor tax policy?

TREASURER:

Not in the slightest. The Labor Party is still to submit, it is still to

have costed its full tax policy. We are now less that 24 hours out from

an election and Labor’s tax policy has not yet been fully costed…

JOURNALIST:

But that is a different question…

TREASURER:

…and when it is fully costed it is entirely clear that it cannot

add up.

JOURNALIST:

There is no black hole though is there, there is no $700 million black

hole?

TREASURER:

No, no, I’m sorry, let me clarify. The, we say that the shortfall in Labor’s

tax policy is of the dimension of $2 billion…

JOURNALIST:

That is not what you were saying…

TREASURER:

…and the $2 billion has not been fully costed by the Treasury. Now,

Labor has not had its full tax policy costed yet. We are 24 hours out from

an election, this is an absolute scandal, the Australian Labor Party released

its policy on the 7^th of September. It put the policy in for

costing after the deadline and the results are not yet back.

JOURNALIST:

No there is no arguing though is there with Treasury Officials when they

say on this point that there is no $700 million black hole?

TREASURER:

There is a, Labor’s full policy does not add up. It is over $2 billion

short. When the full policy is costed, you can’t just take a little bit

out. When the full policy is costed it is clear it does not add up, there

is no doubt about that.

JOURNALIST:

Do you trust the Treasury Officials?

TREASURER:

Of course when we get the full costing, but we could have had the full

costing within five days of the 7^th of September. This policy

was released on the 7^th of September. It could have been put

in for costing on the 7^th of September. We are now the 8^th

of October. It takes five days. It was not put in because the Labor Party

didn’t want to have its full policy independently scrutinised.

JOURNALIST:

But Treasurer you say you can’t take one little bit out of a policy and

analyse that, that is is exactly what you did when you stated your economic

credibility on this…

TREASURER:

I am sorry…

JOURNALIST:

…(inaudible) policy…

TREASURER:

…I am sorry, I am sorry. We took the full policy, we said the full

policy was short by over $2 billion. We still haven’t got the reply on the

full policy.

JOURNALIST:

Do you stand by your earlier comments that you will not make any challenge

to John Howard if your Party is successful?

TREASURER:

I stand by everything that I have said.

JOURNALIST:

Absolutely no (inaudible), absolutely…

TREASURER:

As I have said, I stand by everything that I have said.

JOURNALIST:

…and if you become aware of any group wanting to tap John Howard

on the shoulder, you would stop that?

TREASURER:

I stand by everything that I have said.

JOURNALIST:

If you lose tomorrow do you regret not making a challenge last year?

TREASURER:

I stand by everything I have said.

JOURNALIST:

What have you said on that subject?

TREASURER:

Thank you very much.