Zoe McKenzie (Flinders, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to thank the Leader of the Opposition for his visit to my electorate recently. It was not a hardship task, of course, to visit the most beautiful part of Australia at a most splendid time of the year, but I am grateful for the full day he spent with us, from morning to night. Starting at Esso's gas-processing facility, we saw the place from which 70 per cent of south-eastern Australia's domestic gas needs are met, a major employer in the Western Port area for over 50 years. There are local families where four generations have worked at Long Island Point. Since 2018 Esso has trained 42 apprentices across its two sites, and it has a 100 per cent apprentice retention rate.

In Mornington we met with the Committee for Mornington Peninsula and some 30 small businesses, from retail to aged care, tourism, health, education, professional services and agriculture. We heard how small business is struggling with red tape, the cost of living and the lack of skilled workers across the entire peninsula. Back in Somerville we toured the Sealite plant, where world-leading marine and aviation navigation buoys and markers are made and supplied across the globe. From a backyard business to a world leader, Sealite confronts daily supply chain disruptions and navigates unpredictable energy prices, but practicality, pragmatism and engineering brilliance have made Sealite the No. 1 provider in its field. We then inspected some of the $300 million worth of infrastructure projects that have been funded by the coalition in previous governments, now all at risk in the next Albanese budget.