Wednesday, 19 November 2025

 Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:34): I rise today to update the house on the Allan Labor government’s commitment to continue to deliver thousands of new jobs in our healthcare system. As a Labor government, we are focused on creating good, secure jobs that Victorians can rely on, and we know that our public healthcare system plays a key role in delivering these good jobs while delivering world-class care to Victorians wherever they need it.

In fact we have delivered more than 42,000 additional jobs in our healthcare system since coming to government – more nurses, more midwives, more doctors and more allied healthcare workers. We have grown that workforce by more than 50 per cent.

But behind these jobs are real people. These are mums and dads working in our healthcare system who now have high-quality jobs that they can rely on close to where they live, and it is all because of our government and its focus, the Allan Labor government’s focus, on creating these good jobs. We have backed this in with an additional $11.1 billion in this year’s budget.

But when I think about what $11.1 billion does, I think about what an $11.1 billion cut will do to our healthcare system. The latest Leader of the Parliamentary Liberal Party needs to come clean.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, you have previously ruled on this matter, and ministers statements should not be an opportunity for ministers to sledge the opposition.

The SPEAKER: I do not recall the minister mentioning the opposition.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: You did. I would ask you not to attack the opposition, Minister for Health.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: I was only making the point that when you make a decision to take $11.1 billion from the budget, you have to account for that somewhere. So the question is: how many nurses are going to be sacked? How many hospitals are going to close? They have done it before; they will do it again. Victorians know –

James Newbury: I renew the same point of order, Speaker.

The SPEAKER: I have ruled on the point of order.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: Victorians know that when it comes to investing in our healthcare system and creating good, reliable, secure jobs, there is only one party they can rely on. The Allan Labor government will deliver those jobs.