Thursday, 18 June 2026

 Tom McINTOSH (Eastern Victoria) (10:14): But I also want to put on the record the absolute disgrace that the Nationals are looking to cut 300 jobs in constructing 200 megawatts of power generation 3 kilometres from Hazelwood pit mine. The Nationals believe in nothing. They do not offer jobs, they do not offer solutions, and that is absolutely clear in this petition that they have raised to cut 300 jobs dead in their tracks. They are going to push power prices up. That is 200 megawatts of power that will not be in the grid pushing prices down for Victorians, for businesses, for households and for jobs that are in Gippsland – as I said, 3 kilometres from Hazelwood pit – or supporting local jobs and supporting local businesses while this is built, and ongoing jobs as well. Similar to the point Mr Limbrick made, it is very clear what the Nationals and their coalition partners the Liberals are against, but when it comes to actually building things in this state, when it comes to economic productivity and when it comes to uniting people, they offer nothing but division and negativity.