Feds don't trust NSW
THE Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese can't trust the NSW Government to honour its word after Roads Minister Duncan Gay reneged on its promised 50:50 funding share 12 months ago, a spokesman for Mr Albanese said yesterday.
Press secretary Jeff Singleton said Mr Gay had promised to match the Federal Government's $750 million last year but when it came time to pay the money, it only had $486 million available, saying the original commitment was now "negotiable".
Mr Singleton was discussing what he described as the "delusional attitude" of the O'Farrell Government, which he said had made plenty of promises before taking power but was now abandoning regional NSW.
Mr Albanese stated on Tuesday that the Federal Government would match the State Government's commitment of $1.5 billion announced in the budget on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
He said a further $2.06 billion would be available if the State Government matched funding in time for the 2016 deadline.
"They're spending $3 billion on a non-existent rail line in Sydney - that's where the Pacific Hwy funding is going," Mr Singleton said.
Mr Albanese's media man said not one shred of evidence had emerged to support the Coalition's claim of an 80:20 funding agreement and there was not a single project of the highway upgrade that was funded under such a split.
"It is a figment of their imaginations," he said.
He said some projects were funded largely by the Federal Government as part of Labor's stimulus package.
"They (the Coalition) have been ranting and raging about this for 12 years in opposition but now they're in government it is too hard."
