Chef Tim Pallas likes to cook the books

Shadow Treasurer, Michael O’Brien

When it comes to cooking the books, Chef Tim Pallas is an early favourite for George Calombaris’ #DisasterChef competition.

In April this year, Tim Pallas produced documentation which claimed that “the Labor Government has incurred costs of just one dollar” from tearing up the East West Link contract.  But this week the Department of Treasury and Finance revealed that Tim Pallas had cooked the books with the real costs incurred to date totalling $857 million.

In his first state budget in May, Chef Tim Pallas handed down budget papers claiming he would deliver a $900 million budget surplus.  But a week ago, Tim Pallas was caught out yet again cooking the books with an Auditor General’s report showing the budget is actually $286 million in deficit.

Before the election, apprentice Chef Tim Pallas produced costings to show that all of Labor’s election promises, including the Metro Rail project, were “fully costed, they are affordable, they are achievable”.  But after the election, Tim Pallas’ numbers have been exposed again as rubbery and unreliable with the Metro Rail project having a shortfall of around $9 billion.

Tim Pallas is more #DisasterChef than Master Chef when it comes to cooking the books.

Media:  Tony Barry               tony.barry@opposition.vic.gov.au   0419 600 879