Ministers statements: health infrastructure
Ms THOMAS (Macedon—Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:05): Today I rise to update the house on the Andrews Labor government’s job-creating investments in world-class health infrastructure. Victorians know that while the Liberal Party closes hospitals, a Labor government builds them. In fact we have invested more than $12 billion in health infrastructure since 2014. We have invested in new hospitals such as the $1.5 billion Footscray Hospital, the largest state health investment infrastructure project that Victoria has ever seen and a project that is creating 2000 jobs. The new Melton hospital is creating 700 direct jobs and 1700 indirect jobs. You can add to that 300 jobs at Maryborough hospital, 600 jobs at Latrobe Regional Hospital, 800 jobs at Warrnambool hospital and 1000 jobs created by our expansion of emergency departments at Casey and Werribee Mercy. Our massive health infrastructure investments are creating thousands of jobs for Victorian construction workers, but of course, as you know, Speaker, new hospitals do not treat patients—nurses, midwives and doctors do. That is why the Andrews Labor government is also investing in our healthcare workforce. Our $270 million nursing and midwifery package will recruit and train an extra 17 000 nurses and midwives. We are also delivering record recruitment of paramedics, with an additional 2200 recruited since our government came to power. We all remember how the Liberals, those on the other side, went to war with our paramedics, how they disrespected our nurses. Only an Andrews Labor government will support and grow the Victorian healthcare workforce.