Wednesday, 18 June 2025

Health system

Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:08): My question is to the Minister for Health. The Cranbourne community hospital, which the government promised in 2018, was finally finished months ago. However, the only employees in the building are security. When will the Cranbourne facility actually treat a patient?

Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:09): I very much welcome this question from the Leader of the Opposition as it gives me an opportunity to outline the fantastic visit that the member for Cranbourne and I made only recently to the Cranbourne community hospital to see the finalisation of works at the Cranbourne community hospital. If the opposition had anyone on PAEC that could ask a question, they would know that –

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, the minister is debating the question. It was very narrow: when will the Cranbourne facility actually treat a patient? I would ask you to ask her to come back to the narrow question.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The minister, from what I could hear over the din, was responding to the question about health, and she will continue on the answer for the question.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: As I was saying, having visited the Cranbourne community hospital recently with the member, I was very excited when our budget delivered the funding to enable us to open and expand nine new hospitals here in Victoria, to commission the Cranbourne community hospital, to commission the Phillip Island hospital –

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order on relevance, Deputy Speaker, when will the Cranbourne facility treat a patient?

Ben Carroll: On the point of order, Deputy Speaker, on relevance, the minister is being very relevant. The opposition leader asked her a Dorothy Dixer on the opening of the Cranbourne hospital, and she is giving all the detail as to how she opened it with the member for Cranbourne.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I encourage members on both sides to not use points of order for further debate. The minister was being relevant to hospitals.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: In direct response to the question from the Leader of the Opposition, if he had read the budget papers, he would know that commissioning funding is available for the Cranbourne community hospital in the 2025–26 budget.

Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:11): Minister, the Craigieburn community hospital, also promised by Labor in 2018, has been completed but has a wire fence around it and simply no access. When will the Craigieburn facility actually treat a patient?

Members interjecting.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Bulleen is warned.

Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:12): Once again, if the Leader of the Opposition had listened to what I was saying, he would have heard me say that the budget delivered commissioning money for a number of community hospitals. Indeed, as it so happens, I was with the member for Yuroke on Monday and the member for Greenvale, and we were able to once again tour that community hospital, which will very soon be delivering community mental health services and community paediatric services and will continue to bring on line services in order to meet the needs of the Cranbourne community.

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, the minister has failed to address the Craigieburn –

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The point of order is?

Bridget Vallence: On relevance, Deputy Speaker. This is a very narrow question not about when she is touring the facility but about when it will treat a patient.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The minister is being relevant to the question asked.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: As I was saying, it was great to be able to visit Craigieburn the other day ‍–

Members interjecting.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: and to talk to patients – thank you – receiving dialysis there as a result of our government’s investment. Real patients receiving real treatment.