Victorian Opposition Leader slams state government’s ‘hypocrisy’ over hotel quarantine revelations05/05/2021|10min
Victorian Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien has slammed the Andrews Government over new revelations about hotel quarantine, saying the “hypocrisy of this just stinks”.
Matiu Bush, head of Victoria’s infection prevention, has been stood down after allegedly breaking the new rules involved in the state’s hotel quarantine.
“Having seen 801 of my fellow Victorians die, it’s not good enough,” Mr O’Brien told Sky News host Andrew Bolt.
“The government promised Victorians they had learned the lessons from last year… clearly they haven’t.
“What’s almost as bad is that not only have these shocking breaches occurred, but nothing happened about them until the media exposed it, it’s only today that Mr Bush has been stood down.”
Victorian Farmers Federation President Emma Germano says there could be “serious unintended consequences” if the Andrews Government’s proposal for laws which will see animals recognised as sentient beings.
It comes in a bid to stamp out animal cruelty following the release of a directions paper last year which recommended requiring those in care of an animal to take reasonable steps to provide an acceptable level of care.
“There can be some serious unintended consequences,” Ms Germano told Sky News host Peta Credlin.
“We’ve seen cases overseas where animals have sued their owners and been emancipated from those owners.
“We’re really concerned that this is actually step towards shutting down animal agriculture rather than something that’s just about treating animals well.”
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Private sector investment fund opens on Shipwreck Coast, Victoria
The Morrison Government, in partnership with the Andrews Government, is investing in public infrastructure projects that will boost private investment along the Shipwreck Coast through the $23.4 million Private Sector Business Enablement Fund.
The Private Sector Business Enablement Fund is a key component of the $108.15 million Shipwreck Coast Priority Projects, which seeks to support investment in priority projects to improve facilities and help to boost tourism across the region, particularly for when international travel resumes.
The Shipwreck Coast Priority Projects are a series of initiatives funded within the Geelong City Deal -a $382.48 million commitment between the Australian and Victorian governments and the City of Greater Geelong to revitalise the city and regional economy by helping the region to capitalise on its natural assets and encouraging visitors to spend more time in the region.
Electric Vehicle Council
The Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) has welcomed the intent shown by the Victorian Government with its commitment to achieving half of all new car sales to be electric by 2030 and subsidies for new electric vehicle sales.
EVC chief executive Behyad Jafari said today’s announcement was a welcome step.
“This is exactly the kind of momentum we need in Australia if we want to join the rest of the world in embracing the transition to electric vehicles,” Mr Jafari said.
“We know from surveys that Australians are eager to get behind the wheel of an electric vehicle, they just need to know their governments will back that decision. Policies like this tell Australians that buying an electric vehicle is a choice they can make with confidence.
Opposing the proposal, the EVC wrote in the open letter, “The Andrews Government’s proposed tax on electric vehicles is the only stand-alone electric vehicle tax in the world. No other jurisdiction has introduced such a targeted levy on the cleanest vehicles on the road without significant incentives to balance it out.”
Apart from the aforementioned organizations, the long list of opponents includes EV charger manufacturer Tritium, JetCharge, EV truck converter SEA Electric, the Clean Energy Council, the Australian Conservation Foundation, Solar Citizens, Doctors for the Environment Australia, GetUp, and Environment Victoria.
The controversial EV tax would be assessed at a rate of 2.5 cents per kilometer would be charged each time registration is renewed. EV owners would have to maintain records for at least five years. Those who would fail to produce the records would be slapped with penalties. However, owners of gasoline-powered cars would not be required to produce any su