Michelle Slater and Phillip Hopkins
Both major parties were in the Latrobe Valley today promising to establish new government departments and local bureaucrat jobs, pending the outcome of next week’s state election.
Labor energy minister Lily D’Ambrosio was in Morwell unveiling the location for a new re-invigorated SEC office at the GovHub on Church Street – if Labor was re-elected.
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Matt Guy had come to town stating that a Coalition government would establish a new Department for Regional Victoria in the Valley, providing 200 jobs.
Mr Guy also promised that a new Liberal-Nationals government would maintain funding to the Latrobe Valley Authority, which would be retained as a separate entity.
Labor has promised to bring back a state-owned SEC which included setting up an office at the GovHub.
Labor also promised to establish 6000 apprenticeships to go along with a revitalised SEC.
Labor would also create an SEC Centre of Training Excellence to coordinate and accredit courses in clean energy, connecting with our TAFEs, RTOs, unions and the industry.
Ms D’Ambrosio could not confirm yet how many people would be working out of the Morwell office, but she said a re-elected government would be “hitting the ground running”.
“This is absolutely our commitment, anything we do we get on and get it done, this will be no exception,” Ms D’Ambrosio said.
“We hope we can get on with this massive reform that will benefit everyone in the Latrobe Valley.
“The Latrobe Valley has been the centre of our electricity system in Victoria and the nation and it will continue to be.”
Mr Guy fronted the media with Nationals Leader Peter Walsh at Tramway Road manufacturer PFG Group this morning, stating a new departmental office would likely be located in Morwell.
The Liberal Leader said the new department would advocate for regional communities with direct access to a Minister.
Mr Guy said almost quarter of Victorians lived outside metropolitan areas, yet regional Victoria was “chronically underfunded and overlooked by the Andrews Labor government”.
“We aim to source the jobs locally in the Latrobe Valley. No one knows regional issues better than the people who live here,” Mr Guy said.
“We will have a department that will fix the inequality between Melbourne and regional Victoria.”
