And it appears the struggles of the State Government may be to blame for NSW missing out again on funding for key projects to tackle the city’s worsening congestion.
In a sign federal campaign officials are terrified by the toxicity of the NSW Government, Labor’s best asset in NSW, Kristina Keneally, has been put on ice for the first two weeks of the campaign. So far Ms Gillard has campaigned beside Queensland Premier Anna Bligh and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has appeared alongside WA Premier Colin Barnett.
But Ms Keneally was forced to make the announcement of $6.3 million in federal funding for medical equipment and beds for Concord Hospital with the federal Labor Member for Lowe John Murphy.
Some state MPs have been deliberately kept away from federal candidate functions for fear of association with the most unpopular government in the country. “You’d have to be pretty dumb to lump your lot with the crew on the Titanic,” one senior Labor source said.
The source said it was also hard to justify federal funding for state infrastructure projects when NSW had been ranked so lowly by the Federal Government’s Infrastructure Australia.
The State Government is desperate to announce either the $4.5 billion M5 duplication or $10 billion M4 East by the end of the year.
Ms Keneally has said the projects would be possible with federal funds.
Yesterday, Ms Gillard directed $742 million to a new rail line in Brisbane’s northern suburbs, while earlier this month Infrastructure Australia instead selected as priorities a $4.9 billion Melbourne metro train project, an Adelaide freight rail line and a Federal Highway road upgrade in the ACT.
State Labor figures said Federal Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese did not want the M4 East because it would go through his electorate.
A spokesman for Mr Albanese said last night the federal government was already investing more than $1 billion in separating rail and freight lines in NSW and $300 million on the Moorebank Intermodal to take trucks off the M5.
A spokesman for Ms Keneally said of the lack of appearances involving Ms Gillard and Ms Keneally: “It’s only day eight of the campaign.”
It’s understood a joint Federal and State announcement is planned next week.