Quit call over claim of bypass plan ignorance

Elisa Clark
A Liberal candidate wants Geelong’s mayor to quit for claiming he knows nothing about the party’s policy for the third stage of the city’s bypass.
Candidate for South Barwon Michael King said Mayor Peter McMullin’s claim proved he was “selling out the people of Geelong” with blinkered support for Labor’s controversial stage three route and other policies.
Earlier this week Cr McMullin, a former Labor party federal election candidate, was reported to have said he had not commented on Liberal policies because he had not been asked.
The Independent then asked his opinion on the Liberal stage three policy.
“What is the Liberals’ bypass policy?,” Mr McMullin asked.
“Can you find out and fax me something through?”
Mr King said the mayor’s claim he was unaware of the Liberal policy on Geelong’s biggest infrastructure project was “unbelievable”.
“To do the right thing he should stand down for the remainder of the election,” Mr King said.
He also accused Cr McMullin of a “180-degree backflip of Olympic proportion” on Labor’s stage three policy.
Cr McMullin had initially opposed the route but expressed support after Labor announced its plan for stage three, Mr King said.
Earlier this year the state Labor party announced it would end stage three at traffic lights on the Princes Highway.
Community and business groups attacked the proposal, fearing a traffic bottleneck.
The Liberals pledged on October 13 to scrap the route and send stage three further west for a “free-flowing” link to the highway.