Victorian election: Matthew Guy flags Jerusalem move

The Victorian Libs have promised to set up a trade office in Jerusalem, as part of its plan for the first 100 days of office.

Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy. Picture: AAP

The Victorian Liberal Party have promised to kick-start setting up a trade office in Jerusalem within its first 100 days of office.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy today unveiled the Coalition’s Victorian election plan for the first 100 days of government with headline pledges including a Counter Terrorism Minister and a health department order to shut down a heroin injecting room, both within the first 7 days in office.

The document also outlines pledges for December, including the initiation of an investigation into Labor’s so-called Red Shirt Rorts affair, as well as commitments to be made in the term post-December.

Within the document, Matthew Guy promises to commence work to establish new trade offices in Jerusalem and the Greek port city of Thessaloniki, which prompted questions about the decision to move the current Israeli trade office from Tel Aviv.

Mr Guy said Jerusalem was a growing start up hub and he wanted to help more Victorian businesses tap into business opportunities.

“The start up scene taking place in Jerusalem is mind blowing,” Mr Guy said, adding that the new trade office would help Victorians “tap into some of those unique start ups which are happening in Jerusalem, they’re fascinating, they are world leading and we want Melbroune to be a part of that digital investment.”

Victoria already has a trade office in Tel Aviv, which was put in place by the Labor Government and officially opened during Premier Daniel Andrews’ visit to Israel last year.

When asked whether the move made sense in a politically charged region, Mr Guy said he wasn’t interesting in debating the political implications.

“People can draw whatever conclusions they want, I’m not going to debate that,” he said.

“I just want to go there to make sure that Victoria is getting into an area where there’s great growth and what we’re seeing there in terms of start ups in terms of the digital economy is incredible in a place like Jerusalem.

“I want Victoria to be a part of (that), and anyone who wants to draw international politics into that, then they can do that themselves.”

The controversial move comes after Prime Minister Scott Morrison revealed he was weighing up moving the Australian embassy to Jerusalem, prompting sharp rebukes from both the Indonesian and Malaysian governments.

It also comes in the wake of a spate of high profile attacks on the Andrews government for acting out of its station by signing a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese government regarding China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

Campaigning from Frankston on Melbourne’s fiercely contested “sandbelt”, Premier Daniel Andrews said he had established Victoria’s trade and investment office in Tel Aviv when he visited Israel last year, because the coastal city was the centre of commerce.

“It was a very successful visit and we have many partnerships with Israel and many friends in Israel,” Mr Andrews said.

“The trade and investment office for the Israeli government is located in Sydney, and I’m working hard to try to get that relocated to Melbourne.

“The centre of commerce (in Israel) is I think pretty clearly agreed: Tel Aviv is where that is.

“That’s were the centre of commerce is, and I think that’s the best place for the office.

“I’m not going to change that position. We’ve just opened the office and the good news is the office is working very well.”