Ben Carroll and Labor have wasted more than $1.6 million of taxpayer money renting, watering and pruning pot plants for the head office of the corrupted Big Build.
Rail Projects Victoria – now part of the Victoria Infrastructure Delivery Authority (VIDA) – spent an estimated $1,638,368 on “plant hire and maintenance services”, enough money to pay the salaries of 17 nurses, 20 paramedics or 16 police officers for a year.
This contract comes on top of the Suburban Rail Loop Authority (SRLA) paying almost $200,000 to rent office pot plants, and Development Victoria spending thousands of dollars at fine dining restaurants, rooftop bars and on artisan chocolates.
Under Labor, at least $15 billion has been lost to corruption on the Big Build while Premier Carroll sat around the cabinet table. Despite Ben Carroll promising to call a royal commission as his “first action as Premier”, more than two weeks on nothing has happened.
Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Treasurer, Jess Wilson, said: “Labor has no respect for taxpayer money or the people that earn it.
“Under Labor, Victoria’s corrupted Big Build still doesn’t have a royal commission, but it does have millions of dollars’ worth of rented office pot plants.
“It’s time for a fresh start and a new government that will stop the waste, end the rorts and clean up Victoria.”
