Thursday, 4 December 2025

 Annabelle CLEELAND (Euroa) (14:36): My question is to the Minister for Health. I refer to reports that the minister’s department has directed Seymour hospital to raid workers’ leave entitlements to fund services. Will the minister guarantee that every single dollar of staff entitlements is protected by issuing a directive that workers’ leave entitlements cannot be used to fund services?

 Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:36): I can happily assure the member for Euroa that the assertion that has been made is false. This government will never compromise the hard-won entitlements of our workforce. In fact, in contrast, our government has invested record funding into our health services, and every health service in the state has received an uplift in funding in the last financial year. We have committed an additional $11.1 billion to the funding of our health services – not a promise to cut $11.1 billion, but $11.1 billion in additional funding. This year alone we are investing $31 billion to support our health service to deliver world-class health care.

Danny O’Brien: On a point of order on the question of relevance, Speaker, I ask you to bring the minister back to the actual question asked.

The SPEAKER: The minister has answered the question. She has an opportunity now to refer to the question.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: As I was saying, our government is investing in our world-class health service system, including at Seymour Health. I am proud to say that this investment is delivering real results. As I have already had the opportunity to indicate this question time, we have delivered more planned surgeries in the previous financial year than have ever been delivered before. The time to treat for category 2 and category 3 patients continues to reduce. Category 1 surgeries all continue to be seen within the clinically recommended time. I am also really proud of the fact that our ambulance transfer times are reducing. In fact we have seen a 14 per cent improvement.

Danny O’Brien: I renew the point of order on relevance, Speaker. Ambulance response times have got nothing to do with the Seymour hospital and the workers’ entitlements.

The SPEAKER: The minister addressed the substantive question at the start of her answer. I cannot tell the minister how to answer the question. She is being relevant.

Mary-Anne THOMAS: The question gives me an opportunity to compare and contrast the position of our government and those on the other side. Country Victorians know that when it comes to their health care they can only trust a Labor government, because it was under the Liberal and National parties that we saw a dozen hospitals in country Victoria close.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker: debating the question.

The SPEAKER: The minister has concluded her answer.

 Annabelle CLEELAND (Euroa) (14:39): Can the minister guarantee no services will be cut because of Labor’s chronic underfunding of health services?

 Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:39): In responding to the substantive question I already addressed this issue, because I took the opportunity to outline the way in which our health services have delivered even more health care to Victorians. Across a range of key measures our health services have shown some significant improvements. Indeed right now, right across particularly rural and regional Victoria, we are focused on delivering more care and more services closer to home.

Annabelle Cleeland: On a point of order, Speaker, the minister has cut maternity services at Benalla Health. You are misleading the house.

The SPEAKER: It is not a point of order. The minister has concluded her answer.