Victoria election: Labor launches jobs academy, Coalition promises regional infrastructure boost

Victoria's upcoming state election is shaping up to be a battleground of competing visions for the state's future, particularly concerning job creation and regional development. Premier Jacinta Allan's Labor government is betting on a publicly-owned State Electricity Commission (SEC) apprenticeship academy to bolster the electrical trades, a move that directly contrasts with the Coalition's proposed infrastructure funding model.

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The SEC was a skilled job for life. Then the Liberals got elected.

The Labor Party, under Allan's leadership, is leveraging the legacy of the SEC, a symbol of public enterprise, to appeal to voters. By reviving the commission and establishing this academy, they aim to remind Victorians of the jobs and opportunities the original SEC provided before its privatization in the 1990s. This narrative is further personalized by Premier Allan's own family history, with her father having lost his job at the SEC, adding an emotional layer to the government's pitch for skilled, secure employment.

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For a decade under Labor, regional Victoria has been short-changed and overlooked.

Conversely, the Coalition, led by Jess Wilson, is targeting regional Victorians, arguing they have been neglected under Labor's nearly 12-year tenure. Wilson's pledge to dedicate a quarter of all infrastructure funding to regional areas, aligning with the proportion of Victorians living outside the capital, is a direct response to perceived inequalities. This focus on regional investment, supported by the Victorian Nationals, aims to capture votes by addressing long-standing grievances about the distribution of resources and opportunities, highlighting a stark difference in priorities between the two major parties as the election approaches.

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The Nationals and Liberals are absolutely committed to making sure that we deliver for regional Victoria, that we get the infrastructure that we need, and that regional Victorians are looked after.