Thursday, 30 October 2025

 Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:19): I rise to update the house on how the Allan Labor government is backing Victorian families with the health care that they need and deserve. There are those who say that on this side of the house we are spending too much time thinking about the needs of working families, but we make no apology for backing our nurses – women like Mary, who may well be juggling long shifts and a young family, or Joe, a tradie getting up early every day, working hard to pay his mortgage and support his kids. They are the people who keep this state running and they are the people who our party, the Labor Party, has been proud to represent for more than 100 years.

That is why we are absolutely committed to building the healthcare facilities that they need, whether that is in Geelong or Frankston, Ballarat, Werribee, Footscray, Melton, Sunbury, Phillip Island, Cranbourne or Craigieburn. And of course we are developing and building a new hospital, as I said, in Melton. It is why we are delivering more accessible care through our urgent care clinics or our Victorian Virtual Emergency Department. It is why we are going to deliver Victoria’s first ever virtual hospital. It is also why we are reforming the way in which women’s health care is delivered in this state, because Mary’s, Maria’s, Marianne’s or Miriam’s voice has never been heard by those on the other side – never. We are prioritising the needs of women who are living with endometriosis, period pain, pelvic pain, incontinence, the symptoms of menopause. So, yes, we do think about Mary and Joe every single day, because on this side of the house we will always back hardworking Victorian families. It is what Labor governments do, and we have no shame in relation to that. Every single day we stand by those hardworking people.