LIBERAL Leader Matthew Guy was in Ararat this week saying regional Victoria needs to be the focus of government initiatives which are often centred around Melbourne.<\/p>\n
Ararat is in the marginal Ripon electorate, which has become notionally a Labor seat under the redistribution of boundaries.<\/p>\n
In a wide ranging interview with the Ararat Advocate, Mr Guy said the Liberal Party will fight for every vote at next November\u2019s election.<\/p>\n
He said the dogged determination and hard work of incumbent MP Louise Staley makes him confident the seat will remain with the coalition.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe never take anything for granted but I am very confident Louise Staley is the absolute best person for us to hold and win the seat. She works longer hours than most in that building (Parliament House) she\u2019s well known locally, she does everything locally she needs to do, I couldn\u2019t speak highly enough of her,\u201d Mr Guy said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe last election says everything about what a good campaigner she is and more to the point, how in touch she is with her community,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Guy said his recently announced manufacturing plan will benefit towns like Ararat, but acknowledged that also having an adequate supply of housing was needed for the policy to work.<\/p>\n
\u201cA month or so before we unveiled the manufacturing announcement we announced a plan to bring back the regional flying squad to assist with planning approvals and bring land supply on the market, particularly in mid-sized towns like Ararat,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cLand supply and a lack of housing we\u2019ve identified as a major problem outside Melbourne, so we\u2019ve got to get that land to market to have places where people can live and then reinvest through manufacturing as well,\u201d Mr Guy said.<\/p>\n
On the topic of country roads and rail, Mr Guy said if he becomes Premier, there will be a renewed focus on repairs and rebuilds.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government has invested billions of dollars in infrastructure projects in Melbourne and yet they have put time frames on country projects they have never met or never bothered to meet. Murray Basin Rail, fast rail to Mildura, fast rail to Geelong .. the government\u2019s focus is to spend billions of dollars on infrastructure projects in the south eastern suburbs, but when it comes to rural and regional Victoria they are on a go slow or they never get done,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am particularly concerned that the Murray Basin Rail Project does get back on track, that line does need to be upgraded and standardised and brought back into the national rail network and it needs to be part of the original plan agreed to by the state and federal governments, that is from the Port of Geelong all the way up to the north-west and the branch lines that come off it to be standardised as well,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Guy said seats like Ripon are like the poor cousins of the Labor government.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that\u2019s 100% real and the state of the highway is case in point,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll offer people something different next November, something better,\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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