Australia’s financial watchdog is considering launching a sweeping inquiry into the federal carve-up of infrastructure funding,after Victoria complained it has been short-changed by the Morrison government.
State Treasurer Tim Pallas has written to federal Auditor-General Grant Hehir asking for an audit to examine how Canberra hands out infrastructure cash in the budget.
Victoria has long argued it is getting a disproportionately small portion of federal infrastructure cash,well below the state’s one-quarter share of the national population.
But in an escalating row,federal Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher accused the Victorian government of “throwing the toys out of the pram” because the federal government had followed clear departmental advice by refusing to fund Labor’s Suburban Rail Loop,which Fletcher branded “Dan Andrews’ vanity project”.
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In the most-recent federal budget,Victoria was allocated just 5.9 per cent of new infrastructure cash over the four-year budget period.
The state government was also furious it was left out of the federal government’s Energy Security and Regional Development Plan,a $7.1 billion fund overseen by Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce to “turbocharge” regional areas.
In the May 10 letter,Pallas said he could not accept that a fair and transparent process had been followed.
In the most-recent federal budget,Victoria was allocated just 5.9 per cent of new infrastructure cash over the four-year budget period.
The state government was also furious it was left out of the federal government’s Energy Security and Regional Development Plan,a $7.1 billion fund overseen by Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce to “turbocharge” regional areas.
In the May 10 letter,Pallas said he could not accept that a fair and transparent process had been followed.
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