The announcements came as Andrews held Labor’s campaign launch on Sunday,whichalso focused on energy policy.

After promising toreinstate the publicly owned State Electricity Commission (SEC) in October,the premier said on Sunday 6000 of the 59,000 jobs connected to its reopening would be dedicated to apprentices.

The government would also support 10,000 secondary school students to get work experience through the SEC.

Andrews said if he was re-elected on November 26,each Victorian household would be able to claim another power saving bonus of $250 off their electricity bills from March 2023.

As part of theVictoria’s Agenda election series,readers toldThe Age they wanted the major parties to explain how they will limit the state’s greenhouse gas emissions.

In survey responses toThe Age this week many readers nominated reducing greenhouse gas emissions as their top prority.

“We are facing a climate emergency now and there’s no time to waste,” said one woman from Melbourne.

Another reader said she felt “state governments can have a major impact on fighting climate change”.

While a male reader over-65 years of age noted:“If we don’t reduce global warming,nothing else matters.”

Guy also pledged to build hospitals,fix the triple-zero and ambulance system,address cost-of-living issues and tackle rising energy bills.

“We will train or recruit an additional 40,000 nurses and midwives,and we’ll use these additional staff and facilities and new ideas like surgical robots to make sure Victorians get the healthcare they deserve,and to cut the surgery waiting list in half,” he said.

Protesters dressed as lobsters – a reference to Guy’s infamous dinner with the alleged Melbourne mafia boss in 2017 – greeted Coalition supporters holding placards that read “don’t pinch free kinder” and “you’d be cray-z to vote Liberal”.

Star Liberal candidate and former professional tennis playerSam Groth kicked off proceedings,describing the upcoming vote as the “most important election in this state in the last 30 years”.

Deputy Liberal leader David Southwick used the campaign launch to remind Liberal and National Party faithful of the lengthy COVID-19 lockdowns,“captain’s call curfews” and the failures of the state’s hotel quarantine program.

“Have no doubt that when Victorians go to the ballot box,they will recall everything that the premier has done,” Southwick said.

Former premier Ted Baillieu attended the campaign launch,as well as federal senator James Paterson and two members of the National Party. Federal Liberals leaderPeter Dutton did not attend.

Early voting for the Victorian election begins on Monday.

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