The Abbott government inflated the deficit during its first year in power by transferring $1.5bn to Victoria for the East West Link despite “clear advice” the payments were not yet needed, an audit report has found.
The government approved the funding even though it had received departmental warnings that neither stage of the Melbourne project had proceeded through a full assessment of its merits, the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) said in the report issued on Monday.
The report raises serious questions about the federal government’s handling of the 18km project, which was also championed by the former Victorian Coalition government but was subsequently scrapped by the Andrews Labor administration.
The government approved the funding even though it had received departmental warnings that neither stage of the Melbourne project had proceeded through a full assessment of its merits, the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) said in the report issued on Monday.
The report raises serious questions about the federal government’s handling of the 18km project, which was also championed by the former Victorian Coalition government but was subsequently scrapped by the Andrews Labor administration.
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