2015-09-17
Greens Southern Metropolitan MP Sue Penicuik says she is amazed that the Andrews government has extended the contract of the Melbourne Grand Prix five years before it’s due to expire.
“We know the Grand Prix has lost more than fifty million dollars of taxpayer money each of the last few years and hundreds of millions since 1996,” Ms Pennicuik said.
“In another eight years to 2023, at current losses - the grand prix will cost Victorians an extra $480 million (almost half a billion dollars) on top of hundreds of millions already lost.
"Successive governments have misrepresented the economic benefits of the race in an effort to justify these escalating losses of public money.
"The government knows the case for this event just doesn't stack up, which is why they have refused to make the contracts public or to force the event to accurately count attendances.
"Dan Andrews has missed an opportunity to stop the endless losses of taxpayer’s money and has instead entered into yet another secret deal and the public is kept in the dark again,” Ms Pennicuik said.
For further comment: Sue Pennicuik: 03 9530 8399