Tuesday, 25 August 2026

 Annabelle CLEELAND (Euroa) (13:08): My friend recently called 000 with uncontrollable bleeding and excruciating pain. There were no ambulances available in the entire Hume region, and she was told to call a taxi. Brian Mounsey called an ambulance for his 92-year-old mother-in-law Norma Walker in Kilmore, who suffered a fall and was bleeding from the head, and was told there were none available and to drive her himself. This is also the story of Lorraine Jones and Pamela Ellis and too many regional Victorians. This is the state of Victoria under the Carroll Labor government.

Victorians are desperate for a fresh start, and nowhere are Labor’s failures more visible than in the state of our regional health services and ambulance stations. Locals in Benalla have seen ambulances parked out the front of our station but few know why: the garage doors are broken, so paramedics have to manually open and close the doors every single shift. This is a town of 14,000 people. It is clear evidence that regional Victoria is not getting its fair share. It is little wonder our region has some of the worst ambulance response times in the state, with barely a quarter turning out on time.

I asked to visit the station. The regional director opposed it, so I escalated it to the CEO of Ambulance Victoria. It was handed to their legal department, who rejected my visitation. I represent this community and I cannot get through the door. I am appalled at the politicisation of Victoria’s public service, but I want to thank our paramedics who go above and beyond despite the lack of support from the Labor government. My promise to the community is that the Nationals will stop the waste and end the corruption.