THE AGE Kennett threatens comebackApril 14 2003 Former Victorian...

THE AGE

Kennett threatens comeback
April 14 2003


Former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett

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$1b budget transport headache




Former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett today suggested he could return to state politics after the Bracks government revealed a looming $1 billion budget blowout to maintain the state's public transport system.

Treasurer John Brumby has blamed the public transport mess on the Kennett government, saying its privatisation of the system had been flawed.

But Mr Kennett hit back on radio today, saying he might be forced to return to politics if the government was unable to manage the state's finances.

"If the Labor Party can't manage, and can't govern, and if they wish to continue to blame me for their failure to govern, well then maybe it's time that I started reconsidering my options, and I say that seriously," he told 3AW.

The government says $1 billion is needed over the next five years to maintain the public transport system after the walkout last year of private tram and train operator National Express.



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Mr Kennett said the bail-out would place the state's finances under enormous strain.

"The budget is in serious difficulty," he said.

"This is about what happened in year four, year five of the Cain government ... they've used all the goodwill, the financial base that they inherited, that they embraced."

Mr Kennett said public transport privatisation was not flawed, and the government should have held the private operators to their contracts rather than bailing them out.


"If the Labor Party can't manage, and can't govern, and if they wish to continue to blame me for their failure to govern, well then maybe it's time that I started reconsidering my options." - Jeff Kennett
"There is no way the public transport system should be costing this state $1 billion, and if it is, it is only because the government is agreeing to pay it," he said.

"It would be better, if this figure is anywhere near accurate, for them to consider taking back the assets and if necessary, re-tendering them out to the public sector if they wish to, or run them."

Mr Kennett said a return to politics had "not been high on my agenda" but that he would "hate Victoria to end up where we were in the late '80s, early '90s - and I've got to say to you, there is a real risk of that happening".

- AAP