“We have made it clear that we will find savings – you will definitely see the first phase of the waste and road audit, and you will see the results of that [in the budget]She said.
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“But we also said it would meet our electoral commitments, help with cost-of-living pressures where we can do that without raising inflation.”
None of the ministers disclosed how much the government would save from pre-budget grants or programs, King said the commuter parking fund would not last, and there had been “big chaos” in regional grant programs.
“I had to take a really hard look at where the previous government had invested, really helping out with the economic development in the regions, and really working my way through that,” she said.
The infrastructure minister said the $2 billion regional acceleration fund was an exotic program, and while the government will keep some items including training and college funding, a large proportion of the alliance’s promises will go.
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The Building Better Areas Fund is also in the spotlight, King said, with many applications not being evaluated before the previous government left office. She said the government is also working through community development grants to see which projects are worth funding and which end up on the chopping block.
“I already realize how important such funds are for regional communities and for local government, in particular, to be able to complement local infrastructure,” King said.
So there will be a regional scholarship program of some sort. It wouldn’t be the kind of horrible perverted software we’ve seen in the past.”
King said her department will also make sure it screens any Labor infrastructure commitments worth more than $5 million.
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“If they come to me and say on the basis of the benefits review, this project cannot go forward, I will not proceed,” she said.
The federal government’s largest commitment on infrastructure – a $2.2 billion suburban rail ring in Victoria – has yet to be reviewed by Infrastructure Australia. King said Labor relied on the Victorian government case study for this election promise.
“This would be a disputed project for sure, but it’s something we trust,” she said.
Go beyond the hype of federal politics with news, opinions and expert analysis from Jacqueline Malley. Subscribers can sign up for the weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.
Originally published at Melbourne News Vine
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