In bizarre scenes at Parliament House, Michael McCormack and Alan Tudge called a joint press conference to announce they had written letters to states begging for help to urgently fast-track infrastructure investment.
The letter writing plea is a clear admission from the Morrison Government that last year’s infrastructure package was a marketing ploy not a real plan to bring forward infrastructure.
MYEFO confirmed late last year that only $702 million of the infrastructure package is forecast to be spent this financial year.
This represents just 17 percent of the $4 billion announced with great fanfare by Scott Morrison, allegedly after months of consultation with state and territory governments.
On no less than 17 occasions, the RBA Governor called for infrastructure investment to be brought forward. These calls were backed by state governments, senior economists, industry leaders and the Opposition.
Instead of listening to the experts and delivering a strong infrastructure-led stimulus late last year, the Morrison Government cobbled together a series of ad-hoc announcements with most funding not to flow for two or three years.
Now with the economy in a weaker position, Scott Morrison’s Infrastructure Ministers’ great idea is to beg the states for help. It’s well past time for the Morrison Government to deliver a real plan for infrastructure to support jobs, boost productivity and improve road safety.