Victorian government debt binge is crazy - ignore the made-up "net" numbers, the only thing that matters are the gross, or actual, debt figures...In 2019 Victoria’s public sector owed $54bn. By 2028 it will owe $257bn. That is $34,500 for every man, woman and child in the state, up from $8,200. The interest bill alone hits $8.9bn a year in 2026-27 and $11.8bn by the end of the decade. NSW is not far behind: $59bn to $243bn, or $27,300 a head. Queensland goes from $68bn to $184bn, $30,900 a head once you count its state-owned power and water companies. Three states, half a trillion dollars of new debt in under a decade, and the projections still have the lines pointing up. Someone has to pay for this, and it will be the next generation of taxpayers. Figures are non-financial public sector borrowings at 30 June, from state budget papers and audited outcomes; 2026 to 2028 are budget projections. #StateDebt #Victoria #NSW #Queensland #AustralianEconomy #Budget #Debt