Thursday, 31 August 2023

Responses

Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Health Infrastructure, Minister for Medical Research) (17:31): The member for Berwick raised a question for the Minister for Emergency Services in the other place concerning a constituent of his, a CFA volunteer, and I will refer that matter to the minister. The member for Ashwood raised a matter for the attention of the Minister for Roads and Road Safety, and that was that she visit his electorate. I will refer that matter to her. The member for Ovens Valley raised a matter for the attention of the Minister for Higher Education in the other place, and that was that GOTAFE continue funding an RTO in his electorate. I will refer that matter to the minister.

The member for Broadmeadows raised a matter for the attention of the Minister for Education, and she requested that the Minister for Education join her on a visit to Foundation House in order to better understand the education needs of refugee and asylum seeker children. The member for Kew raised a matter for the Minister for Early Childhood and Pre-Prep in the other place concerning sessional kinders in her electorate. I will refer that matter to the minister. The member for Pakenham raised a matter for the attention of the Minister for Prevention of Family Violence, and the member has requested that the minister join with her in a visit to Orange Door in her electorate.

I will come back to the member for Brunswick in a moment if I may and also to the member for Narre Warren South.

The member for Nepean raised a matter for the Minister for Community Sport concerning concussion and CTE in community sport. I will refer that matter to the minister. The member for Pascoe Vale raised a matter for the attention of the Minister for Roads and Road Safety concerning safety on Murray Road, Coburg – very much the heart of his community.

If I go back to the member for Brunswick, who raised a matter in relation to infection control in our health services, particularly as it regards COVID-19, I would like to refer the member to the extensive information that is available on health.vic.gov.au in relation to our infection control guidelines, which provides extensive advice to health services on how best to manage COVID. But I do want to reassure the member that I am very well aware that COVID continues to present challenges in our health services and that every day we still have people in our health services with COVID. We have people visiting health services who may have COVID and present as asymptomatic. I encourage everyone to give good consideration when they visit health services to make sure that they take responsibility for having a RAT. It is simple and easy to do. Of course our workers also do an incredible job making sure that they maintain infection control guidelines in our health services. Our government has been pleased to provide special leave to all of our healthcare workers during the emergency phase of COVID and indeed beyond, and as the member noted I continue to be in discussions with the health unions on the way that we can best manage leave for people who are impacted by COVID in our health settings.

The member for Narre Warren South has invited me to his electorate to go to Casey Hospital to provide him and the hospital with an update on the progress of our government’s commitment to upgrade the emergency department at that really important, very busy health service in his electorate. I would be delighted to attend. I will get my people to talk to your people, and we will arrange a date as soon as possible. Thank you very much, Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Thank you, Minister. Thank you, members. Thank you to the clerks and the attendants. The house now stands adjourned.

House adjourned 5:36 pm.