Premier Jacinta Allan's failure to honour her commitment to meet directly with members of the East Gippsland timber industry shows the government’s complete disdain for the sector.

In answering a question in October 2023, Premier Allan made a promise in State Parliament that she clearly had no intention of keeping – she agreed to meet with timber workers.

“I further pressed the Premier to nominate a date when she (and not a delegate), would meet with shafted harvest and haulage contractors,” Mr Bull said.

“Ten months later, and eight months after the industry was callously closed by the Allan Labor Government, the Premier made no effort to fulfill this promise.

“These are people who have forcibly lost their jobs and even now negotiations are not finalised in relation to packages.

“At the very least they deserved the time to discuss their compensation with those responsible for putting them out of work, impacting country communities, families and livelihoods.

“The Premier has broken her commitment to timber industry workers, and it was clearly a promise she never intended to keep,” said Mr Bull.

Monday, 2 September 2024