Hazelwood closure

Leader of the Opposition, Matthew Guy

Daniel Andrews doesn’t have a Plan B for the Latrobe Valley or for Victoria’s energy supply.

Daniel Andrews’ Plan A has long been the closure of Hazelwood. Today he’s got his wish, so there should be no crocodile tears from Daniel Andrews about this outcome.

The closure of Hazelwood will cost thousands of direct and indirect Latrobe Valley jobs and cause household power bills to increase by up to 25%.  Higher power prices may very well signal the end of manufacturing in Victoria.

My family have worked in the Latrobe Valley power industry for decades. I know that the Valley will be gutted at this announcement.  I know that people in the Latrobe Valley don’t want charity, they want jobs.  We all know that any government announcements around new infrastructure will be jobs not filled by people in the Valley.

The most sensible outcome was a staged closure that took years – it’s clear that Daniel Andrews didn’t fight for that and he didn’t fight for these 1,000 jobs.

Under Daniel Andrews unemployment has risen by 50 per cent in the City of Latrobe over the last two years.  This is even before the Hazelwood announcement.

The Hazelwood closure also threatens the future of Alcoa in Portland with more jobs at risk as well as risking thousands of remaining manufacturing jobs in Victoria.

Every Victorian should be outraged and every Victorian will end up paying for this.

Quotes attributable to Member for Morwell, Russell Northe MP

Daniel Andrews has repeatedly failed the Latrobe Valley and our region’s jobs crisis has haemorrhaged out of control on his watch.

Daniel Andrews has his wish to close Hazelwood but he doesn’t have a plan that will secure the future for people who live and work in the Valley.

The Latrobe Valley and the jobs of thousands of our workers have been sacrificed by a divisive Premier who puts ideology ahead of real people.

Media contact:      Michael Lewis           0433 495 454           michael.lewis@opposition.vic.gov.au