Editing Jeff Kennett (section)

====Public transport====
Other controversial moves included the sacking of 16,000 public transport workers in a major technological upgrade of the system, and the initiation of a major scheme for privatisation of state-owned services, including the electricity ([[State Electricity Commission of Victoria|SECV]]) and gas ([[Gas and Fuel Corporation of Victoria]]) utilities, the ambulance service, as well as several prisons and other minor services.  The sale of the [[Totalisator Agency Board]] raised $609 million. Between 1995 and 1998, $29 billion of state assets in gas and electricity alone were sold to private enterprise (for statistics, see Parkinson, ''Jeff'', 1999).<ref>http://www.dtf.vic.au/CA25713E0002EF43/WebObj/BP4Final/$File/BPFinal.pdf{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
In the wake of these changes, investment and population growth slowly resumed, though [[unemployment]] was to remain above the national average for the duration of Kennett's premiership. While the benefits to the State budget figures were indisputable in the short term, the social and longer-term economic cost of the Kennett reforms have been questioned by many commentators, academics and those who suffered economically through the period of reform.<ref name="crikey.com.au">{{cite web|url=https://www.crikey.com.au/2012/07/03/carbon-price-v-privatisation-which-is-worse-in-the-latrobe/|title=Carbon price v privatisation – which is worse in the Latrobe?|date=3 July 2012|access-date=24 June 2016|archive-date=25 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160825223522/https://www.crikey.com.au/2012/07/03/carbon-price-v-privatisation-which-is-worse-in-the-latrobe/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="newsweekly.com.au">{{Cite web | url=http://newsweekly.com.au/article.php?id=4292 | title=ECONOMIC AFFAIRS: Privatisation has failed to deliver cheaper electricity | access-date=26 September 2012 | archive-date=1 May 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130501020418/http://newsweekly.com.au/article.php?id=4292 | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="theage.com.au">{{cite news | url=http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/1-billion-nightmare-20110121-1a026.html | location=Melbourne | work=The Age | title=Billion Nightmare | access-date=26 September 2012 | archive-date=15 September 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915185027/http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/1-billion-nightmare-20110121-1a026.html | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite news | url=http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/on-track-for-more-of-the-same-20090627-d0ho.html | location=Melbourne | work=The Age | title=On track for more of the same | access-date=26 September 2012 | archive-date=27 January 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100127091035/http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/on-track-for-more-of-the-same-20090627-d0ho.html? | url-status=live }}</ref> This campaign of privatisations and cutbacks led to governmental acts of privatisation by splitting up Melbourne's rail ([[Connex Melbourne|Hillside]], [[M-Train|Bayside]], [[V/Line]] and [[West Coast Railway (Victoria)|West Coast Rail]]) and tramways ([[Yarra Trams|Yarra]] and [[M-Tram|Swanston]]) or budget-cutting becoming popularly known as being "Jeffed".<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.hansard.act.gov.au/Hansard/1997/week06/1825.htm | title=Hansard of the Legislative Assembly for the ACT | access-date=7 January 2014 | archive-date=3 March 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303230354/http://www.hansard.act.gov.au/Hansard/1997/week06/1825.htm | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.hansard.act.gov.au/hansard/1997/week11/3569.htm | title=Hansard of the Legislative Assembly for the ACT | access-date=7 January 2014 | archive-date=13 April 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120413224511/http://www.hansard.act.gov.au/hansard/1997/week11/3569.htm | url-status=dead }}</ref> He also cut back many regional rail services including [[The Vinelander]] (ran to [[Mildura railway station|Mildura]], services later restored to [[Maryborough railway station, Victoria|Maryborough]] as a regular V/Line service in 2011) and services to [[Leongatha railway station|Leongatha]], [[Bairnsdale railway station|Bairnsdale]] (returned in 2003), [[Dimboola]] (services later returned to [[Ararat railway station|Ararat]] in 2004).

The largest public [[protest]] in Melbourne since the [[Vietnam War]] Moratorium occurred on 10 November 1992, with an estimated 100,000 people marching in opposition to the retrenchment of many workers and the large State budget cutbacks. Kennett was undeterred by this protest, and famously commented that though there were 100,000 outside his office at Parliament that day, there were 4.5 million who stayed at home or at work.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.maynereport.com/articles/2010/12/13-2218-674.html|title=The Mayne Report – The first days of Jeff Kennett|access-date=15 February 2013|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304023507/http://www.maynereport.com/articles/2010/12/13-2218-674.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.news.com.au/national/former-labor-leader-steve-bracks-says-the-jeff-kennett-era-was-a-dangerous-time/story-fndo4cq1-1226488529180 | work=Herald Sun | title=Former Labor leader Steve Bracks says the Jeff Kennett era was a dangerous time | date=5 October 2012 | access-date=15 February 2013 | archive-date=4 October 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004175420/http://www.news.com.au/national/former-labor-leader-steve-bracks-says-the-jeff-kennett-era-was-a-dangerous-time/story-fndo4cq1-1226488529180 | url-status=dead }}</ref>