Troy Grant needs a more powerful crystal ball or he needs to check the batteries in his current model because his assertions are nothing short of make-believe.

This comes in response to an article in the Parkes Champion Post in which Mr Grant prophesised that regional infrastructure projects would be jeopardised by Labor’s regional infrastructure policy. 

This is an interesting allegation given Mr Grant and his government have, during their four years in power, consistently underspent on the infrastructure projects they themselves have promised. 

Their average annual underspend on infrastructure has been $1.2 billion. 

I was shocked that the recent media release issued by Mr Grant was authorised for release considering it contained blatant mistruths about NSW Labor’s infrastructure plan for regional NSW. 

The fact is that NSW Labor is promising to spend an additional $10.055 billion on top of the yearly $15 billion allocated to statewide infrastructure spending. 

At least $3 billion of this additional money will be spent in country NSW, and again, that’s on top of the existing funding pool the Liberals and Nationals have been allocating to infrastructure spending.

On top of this, when you consider the Liberals and Nationals have consistently spent billions of dollars less each year on infrastructure projects than they themselves promised, it becomes clear that Labor is in fact the party for rural and regional infrastructure. 

Importantly, we’ll do all this and we won’t privatise your electricity network.

For three years and eleven months we have had no significant regional infrastructure proposals that weren’t underwritten by a fire sale of taxpayer assets.

Now, four weeks before the State Election, Mr Gee and Mr Grant are handing out show bags in an attempt to bribe regional voters. 

Well the facts stand for themselves.

Labor’s plan for infrastructure spending is supported by responsible, reliable and proven sources of funds. 

Not a risky and unpopular plan to privatise our electricity network in an uncertain market. 

I have  further committed myself to fight to make sure the Orange electorate gets its fair share of Labor’s infrastructure fund. 

For too long we’ve missed out because of weak local members.

Troy Grant’s demands that regional Labor candidates ‘confront our Leader’ is a bit rich coming from a party leader who was bulldozed into supporting electricity privatisation by Mike Baird. 

He and his colleagues know it will drive up costs for country households and small businesses, most are on the record saying exactly that, but they shamefully play along anyway. 

I have to say I do appreciate the advice from Mr Grant, but in the end I won’t be taking direction from a political puppet of the Liberal party when it comes to standing up for the people of Orange.

Bernard Fitzsimon

Country Labor 

Cadidate for Orange.

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