Thursday, 19 June 2025

Craigieburn community hospital

Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:24): My question is to the Minister for Health. Yesterday in response to a question from the member for South-West Coast the minister talked about ‘the patients that we had the pleasure of visiting, receiving dialysis at the Craigieburn community hospital’. However, Craigieburn community hospital sits locked behind a barbed wire fence and a padlocked gate with a bag over the sign and empty car parks. How did the dialysis patients the minister saw cross the barbed wire fence to receive their treatment?

Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:25): I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. Unlike the Leader of the Opposition, I have actually been to the Craigieburn community hospital. I have also had the opportunity to meet the patients that are there receiving dialysis, so I would suggest that the Leader of the Opposition take himself out to Craigieburn.

Brad Battin: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, it is required in answers from ministers that they must be factual, and the photo of the closed venue with barbed wire fence and locked gates would actually prove that she is misleading the house.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Leader of the Opposition, I encourage you to remember that props are not acceptable. On the point of order?

Brad Battin: I offer to present it to the house so you can make it available for the whole house.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: That is not a point of order. As stated earlier, all members are expected to be factual at all times.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: Not only did I have the opportunity to visit, with the member for Yuroke and the member for Greenvale, patients receiving dialysis at Craigieburn; I also had the opportunity only last week to head down to Phillip Island with our local member for Bass and meet the very first patient at that community hospital who was receiving treatment. This is a woman who, despite the fact that she was suffering from a respiratory illness, nonetheless was very anxious to meet both the member for Bass and me to explain what a great investment our community hospital has been.

Danny O’Brien: On a point of order on the question of relevance, Deputy Speaker, we know that the question shows that the minister is a bit confused about the locations of hospitals, but it was not about Phillip Island.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The minister is being relevant to the question on community hospitals.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: The question was about community hospitals, and I was just taking the opportunity because, unlike the Leader of the Opposition, I have been to the Craigieburn, Cranbourne and Phillip Island community hospitals.

Brad Battin: On a point of order, Speaker, in relation to relevance in your recent ruling just then, you said that it was in relation to community hospitals. Is it the ruling from the Chair now that if we ask about a specific hospital they can refer to any hospital across the state? It would be absolutely irrelevant, asking questions, for the people of Craigieburn, who are being misled when it comes to a hospital that is currently closed, if this government can talk about one in Phillip Island which will treat no person in Craigieburn.

Ben Carroll: On the point of order, Speaker, on relevancy, page 154, Rulings from the Chair, Coghill and Delzoppo:

A minister is to relate remarks to the question asked.

The question specifically asked about Craigieburn hospital and the minister’s visit. The minister spoke about visiting Craigieburn hospital and then went on to talk about Cranbourne and Phillip Island. You asked the question about Craigieburn, and the minister was relevant and answered it.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I do not uphold the point of order. The minister was relevant to the question, and it is not for the Chair to dictate to members what to say.

Brad BATTIN (Berwick – Leader of the Opposition) (14:29): The member for Kalkallo bragged that services would begin at Craigieburn community hospital in 2024 and that the new community hospital would offer day surgery services. How many surgical procedures have been performed there?

Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:30): I am very happy to answer the question. As I had the opportunity to outline yesterday, if you have not ever built a hospital, you have no idea how to open one. Under our government we have invested record funding to open hospitals, including our community hospitals. Craigieburn community hospital has had a pharmacy and dental services in operation for some time. I was able to visit a dialysis patient. With the money that has been made available in this year’s budget, we will continue to commission services at that service.

Bridget Vallence: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, on relevance, it was asking for a number – how many surgical procedures. I would ask you to ask the minister to be relevant, please.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The Chair cannot dictate what the minister says. The minister has finished her answer.