Victoria needs a bold plan for recovery after hundreds of thousands of job losses, two harsh lockdowns and business closures caused by COVID-19.
Victoria has been the hardest hit state in the country due to the Andrews Labor Government’s failures in hotel quarantine which caused the state’s second wave.
Today, the Liberal Nationals have released a blueprint to get our people and our state back to work and back in business.
Our new plan is centred on four pillars that will be critical to our state’s recovery and the survival of jobs and small businesses by helping Victorians to secure their family finances, rebuild local business, invest in health and education, and support our communities.
This is not a plan for the next election. Victorians can’t afford to wait that long.
With Victorian Treasury forecasting that up to 325,000 jobs will be lost this year, there is no time to wait to implement these bold measures designed to reclaim our way of life and get Victoria operating as the engine-room of Australia’s economy, like it used to.
Back to Work and Back in Business is the Liberal Nationals’ Plan for immediate action by the Andrews Labor Government so that Victoria can rebuild from the damage done by COVID-19 to our jobs, our communities and our lives.
The Liberal Nationals’ Plan to get Victorians back to work includes cutting payroll tax until 30 June 2022, would establish a $1 billion fund to bring manufacturing home to Victoria, and fund ‘Road Trip for Victoria’ vouchers to stimulate Victorian tourism.
To date, the Andrews Labor Government has failed to deliver real support to small business, sole traders, and hundreds of thousands of Victorian workers who have lost jobs due to no fault of their own – let alone provide a blueprint for Victoria’s recovery.
Our Plan seeks to create even stronger bonds and intra-state connectivity between Melbourne and regional Victoria, so the whole state can flourish as we rebuild as one community.
It’s a forward-looking, solutions-focused roadmap through economic recovery back towards prosperity, to assure Victorians that there is a brighter future ahead.
Victoria needs an urgent response to the economic damage done by COVID-19.
It’s time for Victorians to have hope again for the recovery of our state.
The full plan is available at michaelobrien.com.au
Comments attributable to Leader of the Opposition, Michael O’Brien:
“This is not a time for politics, our economy is broken and there’s too much at stake. That’s why the Liberal Nationals have provided a solutions-focused roadmap for Victoria’s recovery, post-COVID, and we are urging the Premier to adopt our plan to get Victoria back to work and back in business.
“Small business is on its knees, with many forced to walk away from their once-thriving businesses. Without bold government policy many more simply won’t survive.
“Only the Liberal Nationals have a solid plan to get Victoria back to work and back in business. The Andrews Government must focus on restoring and creating jobs for Victorians, and not just on keeping their own.
“It’s time for Victorians to have hope again for the recovery of our state.”
Comments attributable to the Leader of the Nationals, Peter Walsh:
“Regional Victoria is the powerhouse of our state’s economy.
“Injecting life into our regional small businesses, agriculture, manufacturing and tourism sectors will help set us on track to rebuilding jobs and our state.
“The Andrews Labor Government must create an environment where regional communities and businesses can focus on getting back to work and back in business if we are to restore Victoria’s strong economic reputation.”