Why is Deputy Prime Minister McCormack holding a photo opportunity on Inland Rail instead of sitting down with affected communities and listening to their legitimate concerns about the project?
Labor supports Inland Rail. When in Government we invested $900 million to upgrade sections of existing rail lines and advance planning work.
We are deeply concerned that this Federal Government has let Australians down on the planning and financing arrangements of this project.
While Deputy Prime Minister McCormack pats himself on the back, we see farmer against farmer, and community against community, in regards to a project that if delivered properly would be a positive for their regions and the nation as a whole.
Inland Rail is at a critical point in its planning and construction timeframe. Yet the Federal Government continues to act like there are no concerns at all.
With so much of the infrastructure portfolio delegated to Liberal colleagues, Inland Rail is clearly the biggest project on the Deputy Prime Minister’s agenda. He must get this project back on track.
Labor wants to see the Inland Rail project succeed – it is too big and too important for too many regional communities.
Instead of holding photo opportunities and pretending everything is fine, the Deputy Prime Minister must sit down with affected communities, hear their legitimate concerns and get Inland Rail back on track.