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One hundred days in, Ted Baillieu assesses the challenges ahead for Victoria [Interview]

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Talking Business is a podcast review of the Australian economy, presented by seasoned business journalists Leon Gettler and Garry Barker, produced in association with the RMIT College of Business. It features interviews with prominent business leaders and expert analysis from RMIT academics.

Interview with Ted Baillieu, Premier of Victoria

After 100 days on the job, Victoria Premier Ted Baillieu is optimistic about his government’s ability to deliver state services efficiently – but he admits the road ahead is no walk in the park.

In this extended podcast, Garry and Leon talk with Baillieu about his style of government and the challenges it faces – not least of which are the clean-up of the Victorian floods, the cut in GST funding from the Federal Government, and the delay to the regional rail project – issues he describes as “black holes” left by the Bracks and Brumby administrations that preceded him.

He talks about the environment and his pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent over the next decade, something that will have an effect upon current electricity generation dependent upon brown coal energy in the Latrobe Valley.

Finally, he acknowledges that creative measures must be taken to improve the state’s sagging productivity, which has historically relied heavily on population growth. He affirms that he is committed to fostering a pro-business environment that attracts new investment.

[podcast]http://itunesu.its.rmit.edu.au/sites/default/files/itunesmedia/baillieu_interview.mp3[/podcast]

Garry Barker and Leon Gettler both have established careers with The Age newspaper, where Garry Barker is its Technology Editor, and Leon Gettler is a Senior Business Journalist. Gettler also works freelance on a number of other publications.