By STEFAN BRADLEY

 

 

LOCAL manufacturing jobs are the centrepiece of a new $350 million policy announced by the state government last Wednesday, which the opposition has labelled a “bribe”.

The scheme aims to create 5000 jobs as part of a ‘Make It Here Fund’ to back Victorian businesses to make more products locally and grow their operations in the state. It will focus on four key sectors: advanced manufacturing, defence, food and fibre and health and medical research.

The $350 million fund consists of $200 million for equity co-investment and $150 million for industry grants.

The equity co-investment component is fully funded through remaining uncommitted capital from Innovation Victoria, formerly Breakthrough Victoria.

As part of the grants program, the government would seek $2 in private investment for every $1 of government funding.

Leader of the Victorian Nationals and Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien, during a visit alongside federal Nationals leader Matt Canavan to Australian Sustainable Hardwoods (ASH) in Heyfield last Wednesday morning, took aim at the government’s announcement.

“We support manufacturing. We support manufacturing facilities like this one here. But for Ben Carroll to turn up on the eve of an election with a bribe like this, after 12 years of making Victoria the toughest place to do business, is just ridiculous,” Mr O’Brien said.

“I mean, this is the equivalent of the arsonist turning up with a garden hose to put out the fire on the house that they started. That’s what Ben Carroll is doing with this.

“We’ve got high energy prices. We’ve got land tax increases. We’ve got payroll tax. We’ve got levies. We’ve had 70 new or increased taxes by the Labor government. Most of them hitting businesses directly. Most of them hitting manufacturing businesses.

“And now the government says it’s going to do something to support manufacturing jobs. I mean, spare me.”

The government said Victorians “will never forget how the Liberals closed TAFEs and abandoned local manufacturing when they

were last in power in Victoria and Canberra”.

“Labor will create 5000 manufacturing jobs. The Liberals will cut 31,700 jobs,” Premier Ben Carroll said in a media release.

“This is all part of my plan to grow our economy and reduce debt – without cutting $40 billion from frontline services like health care.”

Mr O’Brien, who had visited the Longford gas plant the day before with Senator Canavan, said the government had “failed” on energy prices, and said the Coalition would develop gas reserves.

“That’s part of the Nationals and Liberals’ plan here in Victoria: is to develop our gas reserves, get more gas into the system to reduce prices for gas and reduce energy prices overall. That’s what we’re focused on. Whereas Labor has only done the exact opposite for 12 years, made life more difficult and more expensive for our businesses.

“We’ll do the opposite. We’ve got a 10-year economic plan, reducing taxes, reducing red tape, and making sure that we get our budget under control with significant 24 billion dollars of savings already identified. That’s what our focus is, and we’ll make sure that we support manufacturing jobs, particularly in regional Victoria.”