EDITORIAL

Leaders’ alliance gives hope to region

SUDDENLY there is talk of a “bromance” between political opponents Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews.

The unlikely pairing was outed earlier this month, amid reports Mr Morrison had modelled his election campaign on Mr Andrews’s winning formula and then, once elected, had embarked on an unusually strong working relationship with Victoria’s Labor Premier.

The tongues started wagging after the pair ate dinner alone for more than an hour in the Prime Minister’s dining room in Canberra recently.

Yesterday, Mr Andrews added fuel to the fire, spruiking to the G21 Stakeholder Forum in Torquay that his improved relationship with the Federal Government should see quicker results on joint government projects.

“We are in a much better position with the Federal Government than we have been for a long time,” he said. “It is certainly more productive than has been the form over recent years.”

For residents of the region who endured an interminable wait for our state and federal leaders to reach an agreement on the City Deal before March this year, the bromance does offer some hope.

We have several major projects in the wings that desperately rely on the federal and state governments working together.

The $170 million convention centre on the Geelong Waterfront, the next stages of the Malop St Green Spine and central Geelong revitalisation, and several major projects along the Great Ocean Road are all ready and waiting for the promised funding to begin work.

Geelong road users would be keen to see the much-promised next stages of the Green Spine come to fruition to test the claims of the experts who continually promise its worth once the project is finished.

Not to mention those who have been waiting literally decades for a dedicated convention centre.

In fact, Geelong has been patient long enough on many of these promises, so maybe less of the cosy dinners Mr Morrison and Mr Andrews, and get to work delivering all of the wonderful things you pledged during your respective election campaigns.