Thursday, 30 July 2026

 Paul EDBROOKE (Frankston – Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Cost of Living, Minister for Renters, Minister for Men and Boys) (14:23): Yes, they have had a bad week. Only Labor is focused on making it easier and cheaper –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Member for Bulleen, off you go – an hour. Minister for Youth – half an hour. Members will not speak, not laugh, not clap and not enjoy themselves while I am on my feet.

Member for Bulleen and Minister for Youth withdrew from chamber.

Paul EDBROOKE: Only Labor is focused on making it easier and cheaper for Victorian families to get the health care they deserve. Take it from someone who has had their fair share of trips to the emergency department when I say that every minute matters. But it does not take a plane crash to know why it is so important that Labor is putting care closer to home. We have built 12 new hospitals and hired 17,000 more nurses and midwives. Just ask the member for Footscray what a game changer the new Footscray Hospital is, or the member for Melton, now that construction has started on the Melton hospital, or the member for Point Cook, where we are delivering a new community hospital. Our free virtual ED gives Victorians urgent care from home without the trip, without the bill, and Chemist Care Now gets you the scripts you need from your pharmacy without going to the GP. And we have funded 50,000 more surgeries and specialist appointments for kids, because no child should wait and no family should go without. That is cost-of-living relief where it matters most.

But, you know what, it is all at risk because the One Nation–Liberal coalition are promising $40 billion worth of cuts. They would cut hospitals. They would cut surgery. They would sack every nurse.

The SPEAKER: Minister, just calm down a little.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, this is a misuse of a ministers statement.

The SPEAKER: Come back to the ministers statement without attacking the opposition, Minister.

Paul EDBROOKE: It is a hoax. You cannot promise $40 billion in cuts and a new hospital in the same breath and only – oh, a bit touchy.

James Newbury: On a further point of order, Speaker, the minister is defying your ruling.

The SPEAKER: The minister did not refer to the opposition, but the minister is to come back to his ministers statement.

Paul EDBROOKE: He is as sharp as a marble. Only Labor makes health care easier, cheaper and closer to home, and we will continue to do that. We will continue to stand up for Victorians and make sure they get the health care that they need.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, I do seek your advice. I understand and am not reflecting in any way on any decision in relation to members being ejected from the chamber, but with the Premier’s premature finishing, any 1-hour ejection now means that members miss an entire week of question time.

The SPEAKER: Noted.