Premier Daniel Andrews promises to create 500 jobs in Latrobe Valley
PREMIER Daniel Andrews is promising to create 500 new jobs in the economically depressed Latrobe Valley as his government announces a partnership with an electrical vehicle manufacturer.
Victoria State Election
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PREMIER Daniel Andrews shifted his focus from health to jobs on Tuesday, promising a big boost for the struggling Latrobe Valley.
OppositionLeader Matthew Guy was at the other end of the state, in Warrnambool, promising to spend $1 billion over 10 years to fix country roads.
Mr Andrews first announced an electrical vehicle factory would be built in the Latrobe Valley, adding 500 jobs, then visited the Newport rail yard building the government’s $2.3 billion fleet of 65 High Capacity Metro Trains — which he says has added 1100 jobs.
MATTHEW GUY REVEALS PAYROLL TAX RATE CUT
LABOR PROMISES HEALTH FUNDING BOOST
Under the Coalition’s $100 million-a-year regional roads plan, Victorians would be able to nominate dangerous local roads in need of repair.
The funding would be split up with $400 million for the restored country roads and bridges program, $400 million for targeted road restoration and $200 million for general maintenance over the decade.
Mr Andrews used the final hours that he was officially Premier — before caretaker mode took effect at 6pm — to announce his government had signed a deal with SEA Electric to locate an electrical vehicle factory in Morwell.
The five-year grant was from the Latrobe Valley $266 million support package, designed to bring jobs to the area after the 2017 closure of the Hazelwood Power Station.
Mr Andrews said the electric car company would create at least 500 jobs and was one step on the road to turn the Latrobe Valley into an economic powerhouse again.
Mr Andrews said the announcement showed his government backed the region after it had gone through some “tough times”.
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SUPPORT GROWS FOR ANDREWS AMID FEDERAL INSTABILITY
VOTERS are turning on the Coalition ahead of the state election, blaming the instability of the federal government for their shift towards Daniel Andrews.
Labor has opened a winning two-party-preferred lead of 54 per cent to 46 per cent just one month out of the November 24 election, according to a Newspoll published in The Australian.
The numbers show Mr Andrews is by far the preferred leader, leading Matthew Guy, 45 per cent to 29 per cent.
Nearly a third of voters said they are less likely to vote Liberal due to the recent change of Prime Minister.
Premier Daniel Andrews played down his strong showing in the most recent Newspoll saying it didn’t change his approach to the election campaign.
“I have never taken anything in my political career for granted. I don’t take the people of Victoria for granted,” he said.
“These contests are always close and we will be working every hour of every day right up to the 24th November to lay out our positive and optimistic plan ... for jobs, better schools, better hospitals, the infrastructure that we need in road and rail, putting those solar panels on 650,000 roofs so that hard working families can take control of their power bills, all of that work continues and then it will beup to the judgement of the Victorian people.
“We are going to continue working hard.”
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