Daniel Andrews must not knock back a free road

If Daniel Andrews knocks back the Morrison Government’s offer to pay for the East West Link at no cost to the Victorian Government, it will be only because partisan politics trumps public interest.

The re-elected Morrison Coalition Government has committed $4 billion to provide the necessary public funding of the East West Link.

Daniel Andrews is effectively being offered a free road. Having wasted $1.3 billion on ripping up East West Link once, it would be sheer bloody-mindedness for the Premier to turn his back on $4 billion now.

Having gone all in to try to assist Bill Shorten win the election, Premier Andrews now needs to put Victoria’s interests first, not the Labor Party’s.

Infrastructure experts, including Infrastructure Australia and Infrastructure Victoria, all agree that the East West Link needs to be built.

With the North East Link set to put 100,000 extra vehicles onto the already congested Eastern Freeway, the need for the East West Link has never been greater.

With the Morrison Coalition Government offering to pay the government’s share, Daniel Andrews should swallow his pride, sit down with the Prime Minister and get the East West Link built.

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