The billion-dollar bill to pause the SRL that the Coalition says they won’t pay
The Coalition has been forced to clarify its commitment to “pause and review” the Suburban Rail Loop amid revelations of what it would cost to halt work on the project.
The fresh fight over the SRL comes amid increased scrutiny of the fiscal plans of both major parties. The government’s latest budget update, to be released on Friday, will show its projected surpluses have been slashed as tax revenue falls because of plummeting property prices.
The Coalition’s position on the SRL had previously been interpreted by the construction industry to mean a halt to construction while contracts for the project were reviewed. But when contacted by The Age about the briefing note, the spokesperson said the policy did not mean tools down.
“The Coalition position to pause and review the SRL does not mean workers are sent home or tunnel boring stops,” the spokesperson said. “Anything that purports to cost our policy on this basis is a lie and misleading.
“The Coalition’s commitment to ‘pause’ therefore has no technical or budgetary differences to the government’s own decision not to award further SRL contracts until their own review is complete.”
