Confirmed: State Labor doesn't have the cash for Parramatta-Epping Link

13/08/10

Revelations today that a $520 million hole has emerged in Labor’s plan to build the long awaited Parramatta-Epping link confirms Julia Gillard’s rail pledge is nothing more than Labor pre election spin and will never be delivered.

The toxic State Labor Government doesn’t have the money required to commence the works.

A Department of Transport spokesperson told the ABC today that the $520 million would come from existing transport funding under the State’s Metropolitan Transport Plan.

This Plan is already fully subscribed – meaning either State Labor will have to cut one of three existing projects to fund the new rail link like the South West link, the North West Link, or the Western express link - more likely, the Parramatta-Epping Link simply won’t get built.

Julia Gillard’s rail pledge is nothing more than desperate pork barrelling.

This follows revelations that the so-called plan was put together on the back of an envelope just a few days ago, without the knowledge of Minister Albanese’s own Department Head.

Yesterday, the Coalition also revealed that the NSW State Transport Minister said the Parramatta-Epping link is not a project on their 10-year horizon.

Mark Arbib and the faceless men of the NSW Labor party have infected the Gillard Government with their incompetence.

Labor just can’t be trusted to deliver.