Daniel Andrews’ Latrobe Valley Bastardry

Shadow Treasurer, Michael O’Brien

In this year’s budget Daniel Andrews ripped $252m in new taxes out of the Latrobe Valley but now he wants credit for giving some back.
This is bastardry disguised as charity.
Daniel Andrews’ $252 million tax hike takes effect on 1 January 2017. With other Latrobe Valley power stations under economic pressure, Daniel Andrews should immediately put this massive tax hike on hold.
Hazelwood’s closure has been the political aim of Daniel Andrews for over five years.
Daniel Andrews has tripled the brown coal royalty, ripping an extra $252 million out of our generators, to damage their viability and he has imposed an ideologically driven 40% renewable energy target designed to make our Latrobe Valley generators uncompetitive.
Taxing an industry and its jobs out of existence and then handing back some of that money when people have lost their jobs isn’t something Daniel Andrews should be proud of.

Media contact: James Duncan 0457 758 018 james.duncan@opposition.vic.gov.au