Thursday, 30 November 2023

 Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Health Infrastructure, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:22): On this final sitting day I rise to update the house on the Allan Labor government’s achievements in health over the past year and, let me tell you, there are very many. Our government will always back in our frontline healthcare workers, including our nurses and midwives, and that is why we have made it free to study nursing and midwifery in this state. Since coming to government we have grown our nursing workforce by a third, and we are committed to continuing this growth. That is why of course we have, as I have said, made it free to study nursing and midwifery. I am proud to inform the house that we are close to delivering 2100 undergraduate nursing and midwifery scholarships since that commitment was made. In other good news we have also funded an extra 221 graduate nursing and midwifery positions to help our nurses and midwives grow their careers. What is more, we have recruited over 2100 international workers to deliver the care Victorians need and deserve.

But there have also been a number of firsts this year, and I would like to tell you a little bit about those, including our nation-first public IVF services, our nation-first centre for paramedicine, our first women’s health clinics, our first rapid access hubs and our first women’s pain inquiry. We have delivered on our first pharmacy prescribing pilot, with over 600 pharmacies participating. Of course earlier this year we opened Australia’s first ever heart hospital – and I might say the first, not the third, because who would celebrate coming third? I know the good people of Mulgrave will be well served by their new member, the wonderful Eden Foster, who came first, not third, in the very recent by-election.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member South Barwon can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for South Barwon withdrew from chamber.