By Eleanor Wilson
Casey Council and a Federal MP have expressed their disappointment at the lack of Liberal presence at Wednesday’s Greater South East Melbourne (GSEM) 2022 Federal Election Platform.
The Wednesday meeting saw eight councils in greater Southeastern Melbourne, including the City of Casey and Cardinia Shire, join to promote the priority projects they would like to see the incoming government support.
Shadow Minister for Cities and Urban Infrastructures Andrew Giles and Federal Member for Bruce Julian Hill attended the event and spoke of their intention to support a partnership between GSEM and the government, but a representative for the Liberal party was noticeably missing.
“It’s absolutely disgraceful that Scott Morrison and the Liberals turned up before the last election, made a whole bunch of promises that they haven’t kept. Frankly they lied,” Mr Hill said.
“They didn’t have the guts to show up today. Not a minister, not even a representative, had the guts to show their face to the two million people in Southeast Melbourne who they’ve abandoned and neglected.”
The Liberal Government made a promise to deliver the GSEM City Deal in the lead up to the 2019 election, but has since revealed it will not go ahead until the North West City Deal has been completed.
City of Casey chair of administrators Noelene Duff concurred it was ‘disappointing’ to see there was no Liberal candidate at the platform launch, but said she was pleased to “have the alternative perspective and know what we’re working with.”
A GSEM spokesperson told Star News “all lower house federal MPs whose electorates cover any part of the GSEM region were invited to attend the launch event.”
In response, Liberal Federal member for LaTrobe Jason Wood argued the Liberal party has funded several key upgrades for Casey which were not supported by Labor.
“it is bizarre to have these comments made by Labor MP’s when they never supported the $250 million to upgrade Clyde Road, the $64 million for Berwick Train Station and when I announced the Monash Freeway, they attacked that also!” he said.
“My question to the Labor Party is, what did they announce in their budget for the South East? Nothing.”
Mr Wood also accused Labor of “acting as puppet masters with the CEO and administrators at Casey Council.”
“[Casey Council] have never dared to attack Labor with failing to deliver Clyde Road upgrades despite being the major proponent of the project. They have gone silent!”
