Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has stated Labor would not negotiate with the Greens, while Liberal Senator for Victoria Sarah Henderson said the Coalition would “axe free TAFE”.
The remarks from two of Geelong’s most senior federal politicians came on Monday morning at a Geelong Chamber of Commerce event aimed at giving local businesses insight into the effects of the major parties’ policies on Geelong businesses.
Ms Henderson said there was “no doubt” the Coalition was “the underdog”.
“We’ve got a very large mountain to climb, but we are determined to get there… we’re working hard to win because we think this is a sliding doors moment for this nation,” she said.
“The prospects of a minority Labor-Greens-Teals government are pretty frightening. We have quite an extreme left government at the moment; Anthony Albanese is no Bob Hawke.”
Mr Marles said Labor aimed to form a majority government.
“One point we’ve made really clearly… is we won’t be doing any deal with the Greens, we’ve ruled that out,” he said.
Regarding industry diversification and job creation, Mr Marles said the best way to ensure a skilled workforce was “more university places” and “a whole lot more people coming through TAFE with trade qualifications.”
“With the free TAFE measures that we put in place, which has seen 600,000 Australians take up the opportunity… we’ve made clear that there will be an ongoing commitment to TAFE,” he said.
“That really matters for The Gordon… (and) in terms of generating the skilled workforce that will ultimately supply that diversification of our economy.”
Ms Henderson said “governments don’t create jobs, businesses do”, and that a Coalition government would “axe free TAFE”.
“We love The Gordon, it’s a very important part of our community, but the free TAFE policy so far has cost this country $1.5 billion,” she said.
Ms Henderson claimed the free TAFE graduation rate was only 13 per cent, although Victorian statistics from 2019 to 2024 show a figure of 52 per cent.
Mr Marles highlighted manufacturing opportunities in the region, “particularly in the defence industry”.
“That’s really high-tech manufacturing, and that is the space in which our country… and Geelong will need to be if we’re to see manufacturing take place in our nation,” he said.
“We have seen the unlocking of investment in renewable energy and there is the opportunity for us to be something of a hub… particularly in relation to wind, both onshore and offshore.”
Ms Henderson said “this ‘renewables only’ madness is madness” and Australia needed “affordable, reliable power”.
“That’s why we’ve taken a very big decision to impose a gas reservation policy, because we cannot run out of gas,” she said.
Mr Marles said the Coalition’s gas reservation plan had been “criticised by economists across the country”.
Ms Henderson also raised the issue of rail connectivity to the Avalon employment precinct, which has stalled under Labor.
