Thursday, 8 February 2024

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:43): I am proud to rise and update the house on the government’s nation-leading inquiry into women’s pain. It is staggering to think that four in 10 Victorian women live with chronic pain, and we know it is holding them back. One in three have a health condition that affects their ability to go to work, and at least 20 per cent of women have skipped social activities because of their health. Every woman in this house and every woman across Victoria has either experienced chronic pain or knows someone who has, and that is why our inquiry into women’s pain will hear directly from women and health workers and also work to break the barriers that are holding them back to support them. Importantly too it is going to give an opportunity for girls and women to tell their own stories and share their own experiences. It will also look at opportunities for how we can, yes, improve our service delivery and look at treatment options and services for women. Ultimately it is about improving the lives and outcomes for thousands of women right across the state.

We are a government that is proud to listen to women, respect women and elect women. Can I point to the member for Mulgrave, who with her election has resulted in this place and the other place being 50 per cent women across the Victorian Parliament. We know that when you elect more women, the more diverse experiences you have across the Parliament, and those experiences get heard and acted on – experiences, for example, in menstruation, in endometriosis, in fertility care, in reproductive health and in menopause. These are issues that affect women’s lives every single day, and that is why we are taking action, giving women the opportunity to be heard and to be listened to but most importantly to have it acted upon.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, on behalf of the member for Benambra, can I raise the following unanswered questions with you: questions 726 and 727 to the Minister for Environment, 789 to the Minister for Housing, 790 to the Minister for Agriculture and 791 to the Minister for Health.

Tim Read: On a point of order, Speaker, I have one overdue constituency question, 376, asked in October, directed to the Minister for Industrial Relations.

Gabrielle de Vietri: On a point of order, Speaker, I have an unacceptably long list of questions awaiting responses that have passed their due dates. All of them were due last year: question 226 –

The SPEAKER: If there is a long list, member for Richmond, I would ask you to hand the list to the Clerk rather than read them all out.