Tuesday, 8 March 2022

COVID-19 vaccination

Dr CUMMING (Western Metropolitan) (11:45): My question is to the Minister for Health in the other place. Will the minister immediately lift the mandating for healthcare workers? We are in a crisis. We need every healthcare worker at this time. We have over 80 000 Victorians waiting for elective surgery. We have Victorians waiting to see specialists. We have Victorians waiting to have diagnostic procedures. We have healthy, qualified staff able to work who have been stood down due to mandates. Qualified healthcare workers take years to train. We need urgent action so Victorians can get the immediate care that they need now.

Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (11:46): I thank Dr Cumming for her question. I will pass that on to the health minister, although I think we have had quite a bit of exchange in relation to vaccination requirements that have been suggested and indeed mandated across certain industries for the health and safety of both those workforces and the people that they come into contact with. But, again, I am sure that the Minister for Health will be happy to respond in detail to your specific request.

Dr CUMMING (Western Metropolitan) (11:46): Thank you, Attorney. I look forward to the minister’s response. Will the minister please provide the numbers of staff who have been stood down or left the healthcare industry due to the mandating of vaccines? If the Premier is working as hard as he can, as he quoted yesterday, why can’t Mr Andrews do the obvious and reinstate all healthcare workers and drop the mandates now, with obviously the health minister’s help under the pandemic response? For me, Attorney, I hear what you have just said—that this government is obviously working hard to, I would hope, reinstate healthcare workers. We need them immediately, Minister. We have 000 calls being unanswered, and the obvious to me is to drop the mandates and allow all healthcare workers to come back, no matter what industry, no matter which minister or the Premier.

Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (11:47): I will pass on Dr Cumming’s subsequent comments and question to the Minister for Health.