Candidates call on NSW Labor leader Luke Foley to pledge to rip up WestConnex contracts
Socialist Alliance candidates running in the Inner West Council will ask NSW Labor leader Luke Foley to commit to rip up the contracts on WestConnex at the NSW Labor Party Conference in Sydney this weekend.
They will take part in a protest on Saturday July 29 organised by a number of resident and community groups campaigning against the tollway project.
“The WestCONnex project is not only a massive waste of taxpayers’ money, it will not help resolve Sydney’s transport problems”, said Susan Price who is running in the Ashfield ward for the Inner West Council.
“Labor is privy to some confidential WestCONnex documents and it is also noticing the growing community outrage.
“This private tollway project will slug those people living in the Western suburbs who have to commute to the city, and it make the roads in the inner west even more congested,” said Susan Price.
“Labor has always said it supports better public transport and it is increasingly clear that this is not what this project is about”, said Pip Hinman who is running in the Stanmore ward.
“While India is launching solar-powered trains, the NSW Coalition government is handing billions of dollars to its tollway and developer mates”, she said. “This extremely expensive project, which is spreading north and south, is not an effective 21st century solution in our climate-challenged world.”
“Many people are asking us if there are alternatives given that the project has already started. Engineers say that the project could be rescued, and for less cost to produce real transport solutions”, said Blair Vidakovich who is running in Leichhardt ward.
“Communities in Victoria and West Australia managed to change those state Labor parties’ positions over the East-West Link and Roe 8 projects, respectively.
“Labor would be similarly rewarded in NSW if Luke Foley committed the Labor Party to rip up the contracts if it was returned to office in 2019,” concluded Blair Vidakovich.
The candidates will support anti-West CONnex groups’ protest on Saturday July 29, from 9-10am outside Sydney Town Hall.
