Premier

National Party Once Again Talks Down Regional Victoria

10 October 2017

The newly appointed National Party Chair of the Coalition’s so-called Population Taskforce, Danny O’Brien, has been caught out telling porkies about the strong growth in Victoria’s regional centres.

In a ridiculous press release, Mr O’Brien claims Victoria’s regional cities are ‘stagnating’.

Only a Liberal-National Coalition that has scrapped the regional development portfolio could have such a proudly ignorant view of what’s happening in our state.

For the record, our regional centres are thriving, leading the nation in attracting new residents.

Thanks to the Andrews Labor Government’s investment in public transport, roads and schools, alongside moving Victorian Government jobs to the regions, this is set to continue.

Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Wodonga have all featured in the nation’s top 10 cities for population growth, with Geelong second and Ballarat fourth – both ahead of many of our nation’s capital cities.

Our regional centres are also seeing strong jobs growth with a total of 62,500 jobs created in regional Victoria since the Labor Government took office – almost two-thirds of them full time – and 11 times the number of jobs created under the previous failing Coalition Government.

Mr O’Brien’s ignorance follows the Nationals waving through Liberal Leader Matthew Guy’s decision to abolish the Regional Development portfolio from the Coalition Shadow Cabinet –showing once again that the Coalition view regional Victoria as nothing more than the state’s “toenails”.

After closing down TAFEs and cutting hundreds of millions of dollars from regional hospitals and schools when last in Government, and now lying about regional Victoria in Opposition, the Liberals and Nationals simply can’t be trusted when it comes to regional Victoria.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Development Jaala Pulford

“The National-Liberal Coalition just can’t help itself – it’s always talking down regional Victoria.”

“Only an opposition that considers regional Victoria to be the state’s “toenails” and has axed the regional development portfolio could describe our thriving regional centres as stagnating.”

“Whether it’s getting on with the Regional Rail Revival project, creating new government job hubs in our regional centres or rebuilding our schools and hospitals, only Labor has a plan to support every part of our great state.”

Reviewed 19 August 2020

Was this page helpful?