Mismanagement costs taxpayers $20 million
THE latest V/Line annual report shows Daniel Andrews and Jacinta Allan’s mismanagement of V/Line has cost Victorian taxpayers around $20 million.
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The Andrews Labor Government’s ham-fisted management of V/Line resulted in the cancellation of thousands of train services due to poor maintenance.
This not only cost taxpayers millions of dollars, but it also resulted in extreme inconvenience for tens of thousands of Victorians and unnecessary delays. It’s also why V/Line customers posted an overall satisfaction rating of 67.5 per cent in 2015/16, down from 71.3 per cent the year before.
Once again, Daniel Andrews stands accused of wasting precious taxpayer money. With the $20 million wasted, the government could have built a brand new school including buildings and land.
- David Hodgett, MP
As Christmas nears, fix our roads to save lives
I HAVE road safety fears as the Christmas and New Year season draws near, bringing increased road traffic.
Over the Christmas period there are a large number of families travelling on our roads to celebrate and enjoy holidays with friends and family. It would be devastating to lose any life simply due to the mismanagement and neglect of road maintenance by this Labor Government.
Our road network is falling apart in country Victoria, and the Andrews Labor Government must take immediate action to make our country roads safe and save country lives.
Labor's funding cuts to road maintenance have drastically reduced resurfacing and rehabilitation works in our local area, causing the current dangerous state of our roads.
The Andrews Labor Government must provide immediate roads funding, particularly given the devastating impact of recent heavy rains and flooding on road surfaces across western Victoria.
Reporting road hazards directly to VicRoads will help give them the data they need to demonstrate that more funding is needed to respond to road hazards.
Road hazards can be reported on www.emmakealy.com or by phoning 13 11 70.
- Emma Kealy, Lowan MP
Farmers condemn new turn in CFA dispute
VICTORIAN farmers have condemned the latest turn in the long-running dispute between the Country Fire Authority and United Firefighters Union over volunteer rights, with the union determined to take the spat to the High Court.
The Victorian Farmers Federation has blasted the move to challenge the Federal Government’s amendment to the Fair Work Act on constitutional grounds as disappointing.
We should all be concerned about the safety of people in rural communities because fire season will be here soon, and the last thing we need is another distraction.
The CFA is always ready to go during fire season and it’s vital that we ensure its operations aren’t affected by the enterprise agreement dispute so that this season is no different from previous years.
The dispute originated when volunteers voiced concerns that an enterprise agreement being negotiated for paid CFA members also included clauses limiting the authority of volunteer members.
The CFA is a largely volunteer organisation that serves to protect people living in rural communities, and this dispute is causing division between people who all have the same interests – whether they are volunteers or paid, they want to protect our communities.
Recent media reports have highlighted a culture in the MFB and the UFU that is not compatible with a volunteer organisation adding to concerns with the UFU’s push to gain more control of the CFA.
- David Jochinke, VFF president
