@slips; re your post which included "...
tell me how they are going to pay it back without crucifying the tax payer ...".
Victorians are still paying the cost of the Kennett Governments' scorched earth approach which flogged off public assets for peanuts, provided a gravy train for foreign corporations to exploit electricity supply and for property developers to lick their lips for decade. It crucified all Victorians - high prices, poor public infrastructure and services, traffic congestion,. reduced productivity, ...
Unlike what we've seen from the unprecedented $WASTE by the Federal Coalition for a decade including the rorting from JobKeeper, tax cuts for our wealthiest people, defence equipment stuff-ups, warmongering, refusal to address global warming and climate change; Victoria's $Debt is the result of investing in removing level crossings, building new hospitals, Melbourne's Metro extensions, the Westgate Tunnele, NE Link, the outer ring rail, training tradies, biomedecine, ... etc.
Running up $Debt that does not deliver a return is disastrous!
Running up $Debt to deliver returns to taxpayers by improving productivity does NOT crucify taxpayers at all, indeed it services their needs and enables more productive futures.