Victoria’s Labor Government has stepped up pressure on the Liberals and Greens to support its plan to remove the state’s most dangerous and congested level crossings.
Acting Premier James Merlino on Thursday launched the Andrews Government’s new Don’t stand in the way campaign, which “allows anyone who is passionate about reducing road congestion, running more trains or saving Victorian lives, to send a message to Victorian Liberal and Greens Members of Parliament to support the Labor Government’s plan to get rid of these dangerous, deadly level crossings”.
The website, www.dontstandintheway.com, allows members of the public to sign a petition supporting the Andrews Government’s plan to remove 50 level crossings over the next eight years.
Merlino criticised Coalition and Greens MPs for last month opposing the removal of crossings, which Merlino describes as “death traps”.
“Removing level crossing will reduce congestion, create jobs and save lives,” Merlino argued. “It’s what Victorians voted for and it’s what the Andrews Labor Government is delivering.
“It’s time for the Liberals and Greens to stop playing politics and get out of the way.”
The Victorian Liberal Party is unhappy with Labor’s decision to scrap the East West Link tollroad project – which was launched by the Liberal Party shortly prior to the last state election.
The Liberals, now in opposition, have accused Premier Andrews of having something against roads, and the opposition’s campaign against level crossing removal spending is part of that focus.
But Andrews has appealed to the Victorian public, pointing out level crossings around Victoria are just as much – if not more – of a roads issue than a rail one. With boomgates in some places down for almost half of the two-hour morning peak, they are at least as detrimental to road users as they are to rail, Labor argues.
Labor’s acting transport minister Martin Pakula singled out opposition leader Matthew Guy, who he accused of mounting an anti-rail campaign on par with that of Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
“Victorians don’t want to see the Tony Abbott disease come to Victoria,” Pakula said. “They want the Liberals to keep their promises and help the Labor Government get rid of our worst level crossings.
“Matthew Guy is acting like the Federal Liberal leader Tony Abbott – saying one thing before an election and doing another thing after.”
It’s about time some level crossings were removed. The entire 4 years they were in power, The LNP only removed 3 level crossings. Labor is removing 20 before the next state election, and the other 30 in their second term.