Aug 29, 2026 – 5.00amIf there’s a single project that encapsulates every criticism levelled at the former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews, it is the Suburban Rail Loop. Concocted in secret, cooked up by consultants and exorbitantly priced, the grand scheme to build from scratch an underground line running a ring through Melbourne’s suburbs was the epitome of the former Labor leader’s get-stuff-done-at-any-cost style.It has also become emblematic of the myriad governance failures under Andrews and his successor, Jacinta Allan – something current premier Ben Carroll is desperate to distance himself from.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Sumeyya IlanbeyVictorian political correspondentSumeyya Ilanbey is the Victorian political correspondent for The Australian Financial Review.Fetching latest articles
The secret tax that says everything about Victorian Labor
The revelation that Labor secretly introduced a tax on public transport users is the latest chapter in a saga in which political momentum has trumped fiscal responsibility.
126 words~1 min read
