SIMON Corbell says the Canberra Liberals’ threats to cancel the Capital Metro project if elected will cost ACT taxpayers potentially hundreds of millions of dollars and put at risk thousands of jobs.

“The Canberra Liberals’ threats will see costs of potentially hundreds of millions of dollars for no return,” Simon said.

“Alistair Coe is promising to spend up to hundreds of millions of dollars to tear up a contract for a project that will deliver $1 billion in economic benefits to the ACT, a project that will deliver 3500 jobs in the construction phase alone, a project that will help transform our city, a project that will help negate the traffic and congestion issues that will accompany our growth to a city of more than 600,000.

“The Liberals have highlighted a decision by the Victorian Government to pay $339 million to get out of a contract for Melbourne’s East West Link project as an important precedent in his quest to throw away ACT taxpayers’ money.

“A similar decision in the ACT would cost Canberra its reputation as a good place for private investment in public projects, like a convention centre.

“The successful Capital Metro consortia will also have commenced construction prior to the next ACT election.

“This would increase the amount of any payment needed to cancel that contract without reason.”

“A light rail line from City to Gungahlin delivered as a Public Private Partnership was an election commitment by ACT Labor during the last election.

“How many elections do the opposition want us to take this policy to,” Mr Corbell said.

Alistair Coe has responded in turn.

“Simon Corbell needs to justify his extraordinary statement that the cost involved with cancelling his light rail project will be more than that of cancelling the $10 billion Melbourne East West Link,” Alistair said.

“Yesterday, Simon Corbell claimed it would cost at least $340 million to stop the light rail project once contracts have been signed. That would amount to 43 percent of the stated cost. That’s also in contrast to the 3 percentcancellation fee paid by the Victorian Labor government to cancel Melbourne’s East West Link.

“The fact that Minister Corbell purports to know a cancellation fee before a consortium has been chosen and months before a contract has been signed is bizarre.

“Further to this, Minister Corbell seems to be determined to increase the cancellation cost which suggests that he is not acting in the best interests of Canberra taxpayers. Simon Corbell should be seeking to drive costs down, not increase them.

“The government has been irresponsible with this project since it was agreed to on the back of the deal with Shane Rattenbury to form a government following the 2012 election.

“If Victorian Labor can cancel the East West Link for 3 percent of the contract price, there’s no reason why Simon Corbell shouldn’t be demanding a similar or better cancellation rate for light rail.

“The Canberra Liberals will continue to do all we can to hold the Labor/Greens government to account on this politically motivated project,” Mr Coe concluded.