Victorian election: Protest ‘emblematic’ of Andrews government, says Matthew Guy

Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy says a CFMEU protest against him is emblematic of the ‘intimidation and division’ of the Andrews government.

CFMEU members at Matthew Guy’s press conference. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy says a CFMEU protest against him is emblematic of the “intimidation and division” of the Andrews government.

Four days out from Saturday’s state election, about two dozen CFMEU members followed journalists to the Liberal leader’s Tuesday morning press conference, held in a corporate function centre near Melbourne’s Federation Square, and attempted to drown him out, yelling: “Hands off our jobs.”

The move came as Mr Guy ­announced plans to redevelop 3ha of land east of Federation Square into a city park, connecting Flinders Street with the Yarra River, and as Premier Daniel ­Andrews travelled to the Latrobe Valley town of Morwell to ­announce plans to enshrine the revival of the State Electricity Commission in the state’s constitution.

Battling to be heard above the noise of the CFMEU protest, Mr Guy said: “This is just intimidation and division, but that’s what Daniel Andrews has done to Victoria.

“We have a chance to move on from this, to something unifying and positive for our state, as ­opposed to a government led by a Premier who feeds off this kind of intimidation and division.

“Victoria is better than this … and we’re better than this government. We’ve got a chance to get rid of them on the weekend.”

Following the press conference, one of the protesters revealed that he was supposed to be working on the Andrews government’s signature Metro Tunnel.

“I heard he (Mr Guy) was here, so I came out of my smoko break, and I’ve just come to say my piece that Matthew Guy is not good for the workers,” CFMEU member Angelo Allesandro said.

“Matthew Guy is no good for the construction industry, he’s never supported us, and we don’t support him.

“We don’t believe in Matthew Guy. He’s no good for construction. He’s been around a while, he’s a recycled leader.”

Asked to respond to Mr Guy’s claims that he had brought “fear, intimidation and division” to Victoria, Mr Andrews said: “I reject those comments from the Leader of the Opposition.

“I’m here announcing 59,000 jobs, and power that’s about people, not profit. I’m nowhere near Federation Square. The Leader of the Opposition, his comments are irrelevant to the work that I’m doing.”

Asked whether the CFMEU’s actions were counter-productive, Mr Andrews said: “That’s a matter for them. I’m not sure what they’re doing, but that’s a matter for them.”

Asked whether he would condemn the “intimidation”, Mr Andrews said: “I’ve not seen what’s occurred. I don’t know whether your description of it and the word you just used is accurate.”