Opposition leader visits Monash

by Bonnie Collings
Affordable energy prices were the main topic of conversation last Tuesday when federal Opposition leader Sussan Ley visited Rubber Tough Industries in Warragul.
The visit followed a meeting hosted by Member for Monash Mary Aldred with local business representatives at Warragul Country Club on Monday night.

Rubber Tough Industries managing director Brett Evans took Ms Ley and Ms Aldred on a tour through the facilities, explaining the process of producing different materials.
Ms Ley and Ms Aldred even tried their hand at hand-trowling a freshly made rubber product.
Ms Ley said it was fascinating to see "products that are genuinely Australian-made" and hear about the team's concerns for added costs, particularly concerns related to energy costs.

"You talked about your supply chain and the rubber ingredients that come in here and how the people who make them are facing unprecedented cost escalation, and the effect that's going to have on what is really important in this local area - local industries, wonderful small and family businesses, communities that are at the heart of our nation," Ms Ley said.
"It is all threatened by unaffordable energy, which is why the Coalition's plan is the plan that Australians deserve."
Speaking to the Coalition's energy plan, Ms Ley said affordable energy "must be a priority".
"Australians deserve affordable energy and responsible emissions reduction. We believe that they can have both, but we know that affordable energy must be a priority."
"Remember, this government went to two elections saying that your power bill would come down by $275, it's gone up by $1300.
"Fifty per cent more Australians are on hardship payments. People are struggling in the lead up to Christmas and going back to school next year and just the cost of everything, because when energy is unaffordable, everything is unaffordable."

When asked if building a nuclear power station in Gippsland was still part of the plan, Ms Ley said the plan was "technology agnostic."
"If a nuclear project stacks up then it should come forward, in just the same way as the extension of life for coal-fired power assets is technology agnostic and should come forward to deliver the baseload generation that we desperately need," she said. "Our policy, though, and it has been from day one, is to remove the moratorium on nuclear so that a project that involves the development of nuclear energy can come forward under our plan."

Ms Ley said the plan outlined that coal-fired power assets should continue to operate.
"We should sweat the coal-fired power assets in order to guarantee that we have baseload power to balance renewables that are coming onto the system, to make sure that we don't have blackouts, to keep people safe over summer, and to understand that affordability and reliability are key," she said.
Ms Aldred said she was "delighted" to have Ms Ley return to Monash and hear from local businesses.
"Rubber Tough's been going since 1999 and employs up to 30 local people here, but of course they're grappling with high energy costs and the broader cost of doing business," Ms Aldred said.