Mr Clean has lost his sheen in backflip
April 15, 2003 — 10.00am
Twenty-four hours after breaking one of his Government's core promises from last year's election campaign, Steve Bracks, one of the best-known cleanskins of the Australian political scene, isn't looking so clean.
Mr Bracks has reneged on a promise made during last year's election campaign that his Government would not introduce tolls on the Mitcham-Frankston Freeway. And the result is a credibility problem for him and his Government.
Mr Bracks gave residents of the booming south-east suburbs a categorical assurance in the leaders' debate during last year's campaign that they would not pay to drive on the new road. Asked during the debate to categorically rule out tolls "on new or existing roads", Mr Bracks said: "Yes, I will."
He most recently repeated it in Williamstown about three weeks ago.
The toll about-face is highly damaging. The problem now is that when Mr Bracks makes a promise, it will be questioned. And it doesn't matter how many times he, or Treasurer John Brumby, says the economic climate justifies the change.
The fact that the Premier looks like the bloke next door means many people don't judge him as harshly as they judge many politicians.
The tolls about-face lessens the advantage the popular Premier has over the rest of the pack.
Making matters worse for the Bracks Government is that Labor went to two state elections saying it did not support toll roads.
While motorists will pay to drive on the new freeway, expected to be finished in 2008, Labor could pay for it sooner.