Wednesday, 19 February 2020

Questions without notice and ministers statements

Hospital waiting lists

Mr M O’BRIEN (Malvern—Leader of the Opposition) (11:01): You are killing my applause, are you, Speaker? All right, fair enough.

My question is to the Premier. Last week the Treasurer announced that this Labor government will be imposing $4 billion of cuts, and he said he is looking at every line item. Under the Premier’s government an extra 11 000 people are languishing on hospital waiting lists. Will the Premier guarantee that his $4 billion of budget cuts will not see even more Victorians left to languish on waiting lists in the future?

Mr ANDREWS (Mulgrave—Premier) (11:02): I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. Of course the Treasurer made no such announcement. What he indicated was that every line item in every part of the Victorian budget would be directed towards the priorities that we were elected to deliver on. If the Leader of the Opposition wants to invite a compare-and-contrast exercise on how much has been invested in our health system, how many patients are being treated, the time it is taking to treat them, ambulance response times—on any metric—

Interjections from gallery.

The SPEAKER: I am going to suspend the sitting of the house until the ringing of the bells.

Sitting suspended 11.03 am until 11.09 am.

The SPEAKER: The Premier was in the middle of an answer. Does the Premier wish to continue?

Mr ANDREWS: I am pleased to continue.

A member interjected.

Mr ANDREWS: Oh, that think time has been so important to me, to go through this piercing question, to get across the detail of this stunning attack from the Leader of the Opposition. I welcome a comparison of our government’s consistent record—more funding to treat more patients more quickly—to a dismal four years of underinvestment. And I can assure the Leader of the Opposition that we will continue as we have started—more money for better care.

Mr M O’Brien: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is debating the question. The question related to the fact that 11 000 more people are on the waiting list under this Premier’s watch. What effect is this $4 billion of cuts going to have on that extra 11 000 people?

The SPEAKER: I heard the question that was asked. The Premier was relevant to the question. The Premier has concluded his answer.

Mr M O’BRIEN (Malvern—Leader of the Opposition) (11:10): David Anderson is an 82-year-old veteran with a degenerative hip complaint, who has been told by this Premier’s government he will have to wait a year simply to see a specialist before he can even become a number on this Premier’s long waiting list. With $4 billion of budget cuts to be ripped out of services, including health, how can 82-year-old Mr Anderson have any faith that his painful hip condition will ever be fixed?

Mr ANDREWS (Mulgrave—Premier) (11:10): I again reject the assertion made by the Leader of the Opposition in relation to comments made by the Treasurer last week. That is simply wrong. In relation to this specific—

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier has the call.

Mr ANDREWS: The Leader of the Opposition has raised an individual patient. I think that is a serious matter, and when I can get a word in, I will be happy to respond on that issue. So if the Leader of the Opposition is happy for me to answer his question, I would be delighted to. If he provides me with the details of the patient that he has referenced today, I will provide that to the Minister for Health and ask her to make sure her department makes contact with that patient to make sure that that person can get the treatment they need as fast as possible.

I think that was your question. Or were you trying to make a political point?

Mr M O’Brien: Don’t try and anticipate me.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! Government members will come to order.

Mr M O’Brien: On a point of order, Speaker, the health minister has already confirmed he is going to have to wait a year on the waiting list to even get an appointment. So the Premier needs to respond and explain what he is going to do to help 82-year-old war veteran Mr Anderson, given the health minister has abandoned him.

The SPEAKER: Order! A point of order is not an opportunity to repeat the question. The Premier has answered the question.