Mr Guy and his senior leadership team – Deputy Leader and Shadow Minister for Small Business and Business Recovery David Southwick, Shadow Treasurer David Davis and Shadow Minister for Health Georgie Crozier – addressed the Victorian Chamber’s Business Breakfast at Zinc at Federation Square. 

Mr Guy said it was vital to restore confidence in Victoria. “We want to make Victoria the state of the nation and Melbourne the most liveable city again, he said. “We want Victoria’s best days to be ahead of it, not behind it.”

Mr Guy spoke about his plans to reform the health system and redirect funds from the Suburban Rail Loop. “Who said that’s the most needed priority for the state right now? Because I say it’s not,” he said. 

The coalition has identified using funds to rebuild or upgrade 11 hospitals around the state – including Mildura, Wodonga, Warragul and Melton, a children’s hospital in Werribee, an infectious diseases centre in the city and training facilities attached to the hospitals. 

Mr Guy acknowledged the ongoing skills and worker shortage but said he will have a “fabulous staffing policy to match that … not today [but] before the election.” He also pledges 2,000 extra mental health workers in the state. 

Beyond health Mr Guy “has a plan for our economy” to restore confidence in investing in the state and partnerships with the government. 

This comes with an “early commitment” of no new taxes: “Because we need to have continuity of policy for the term … so people know these are the rules in Victoria and they aren’t going to change, this is what it’s going to take to do business in the state. 

Mr Guy and Shadow Ministers Crozier, Southwick and Davis outlined other policy priorities, including: 

• The removal of some taxes including training registration fees to support trades 
• Planning reforms committed by the Government to be brought forward and implemented without a tax 
• Improving skilled migration pipelines to ease worker shortages
• Two flying planning squads to return to regional Victoria to unlock 50,000 lots of land over two years outside Melbourne
• A $2.5 billion manufacturing pledge
• A Connect Victoria scheme with a concierge service for businesses
• Events, shopping strip and sporting grants. 

Another key policy pillar involves “transition[ing] our economy to make our economy cleaner”. 

Mr Guy plans to achieve this by “unlocking gas supplies, not banning natural gas”. He recognises brown coal is not the future, but gas will aid the transition as “we can’t go solar and wind tomorrow”. 

“It’s a cleaner transition – not 100 per cent but 30 per cent cleaner – but it’s a lot better than brown coal and should be part of our transition”. He also pledges a billion-dollar fund for hydrogen production. 

The energy approach will keep Victoria in lockstep with New South Wales on climate targets, Mr Guy said. 

“People have asked me why would you have a 50 per cent by 2030 carbon reduction target? That’s what NSW has and we need to have continuity of policy between our two biggest economies on this front. 

“Climate issues don’t follow state boundaries so set the same targets.” 

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