Thursday, 5 March 2026

 Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services, Minister for Women) (14:23): I rise to mark International Women’s Day and celebrate women and their remarkable achievements. To the amazing women who sustain Victoria’s health system, I say a big thank you. Women make up almost eight in 10 of our public health workforce and deliver care every day with skill and compassion. On IWD we honour the dedication of these women in caring for Victorians when they need it most.

But we all know that actions speak louder than words, and for many years feminised workforces like nursing and midwifery were undervalued and underpaid. Quite frankly this is unacceptable. That is why our government, the Allan Labor government, delivered a historic 28.4 per cent wage increase for nurses and midwives, acknowledging this historical gender undervaluation and strengthening gender wage equity. We are also investing in building new and expanded hospitals and ensuring that we are creating jobs well into the future for our nurses, midwives and other women in our healthcare system. Whether it is at Frankston, Footscray, Maryborough, Cranbourne, Phillip Island or Craigieburn, these new hospitals built by the Allan Labor government are creating jobs and opportunities. It is one reason why under this government our healthcare workforce has grown by more than 50 per cent.

Victorian women know and healthcare workers know that when you have got an $11.1 billion black hole you will not be able to sustain the health workforce as it is at the moment, so on International Women’s Day I call on the Leader of the Opposition to come clean and let Victorian nurses know how many of them she will sack. Is it 16,000? Is it 17,000? Is it 18,000?

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, attacking the opposition is a misuse of a ministers statement.

The SPEAKER: It is indeed. The minister has concluded her ministers statement.