Wednesday, 8 June 2022

 Ms CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (09:40): Last Tuesday I went to Portland on the invitation of local member Roma Britnell, and I attended a community forum with Matthew Guy, the Leader of the Opposition. We were hearing from concerned residents about the state of Portland health. In that forum we had members of the hospital committee, former board members and also clinicians. I was absolutely appalled to see that the Minister for Health slammed us for going down to Portland to hear from these residents about their real concerns about what is happening. Unbelievably he said it was a ‘closed-meeting politics’ meeting. I mean, seriously, a ‘closed-meeting politics’ meeting is what he said we were doing. It just shows you how out of touch he is. He flew in and flew out. He did not meet with members of the community. This health service is under huge stress. People are having to go for basic care to Mount Gambier. They cannot get appointments. I was told on Saturday night by a paramedic that I know down there that three babies had been delivered on the roadside in recent times within 48 hours. This is the state of what is happening around regional Victoria. It is a disgrace that the minister himself will not get out and speak to members of the community about how health services are failing them because of the failures of the Andrews Labor government.