Thursday, 23 June 2022

 Mr HAYES (Southern Metropolitan) (12:00): My question is to the minister representing the Treasurer. Last week I met with Dave Taylor and Sam Biondo from the Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association. This non-government peak organisation aims to promote strategies that prevent and reduce harms associated with alcohol and other drugs across the Victorian community. Last year they supported 40 000 Victorians through publicly funded alcohol and other drug services. One of the issues they raise is the complexities arising from the COVID pandemic, with increasing substance dependence and the funding emphasis given to mental health in general. There are more and more Victorians suffering on public waitlists as they specifically seek alcohol and other drug treatment. My question is: when there has been a 71 per cent increase on waitlist times for drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation and a 65 per cent increase in waitlist times for counselling, why has funding been cut to this service in the 2022–23 budget? Surely we need more funding, not less.

The PRESIDENT: Just a clarification, Mr Hayes: your question was directed to the Treasurer, correct?

Mr HAYES: To the minister representing the Treasurer. That is correct.

The PRESIDENT: Mr Hayes, can I ask you to redirect your question to the Minister for Health?

Mr HAYES: All right. My question is to the Minister for Health.

 Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:02): Thank you, Mr Hayes. You raise important matters. The association that you have referred to does do really good work, and the points you make are worthy of me getting more information for you. It will be a combination between health and the Minister for Mental Health, but I will make efforts to ensure that you get a fulsome answer.

 Mr HAYES (Southern Metropolitan) (12:02): Thank you, Minister. My supplementary is: a lack of access to public alcohol and drug services is often attributed to the overburdening of the criminal justice system. Recent reports show Victorian incarceration rates are higher than ever. Victoria already has the second-lowest number of drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation beds in the country, with only 0.7 publicly funded beds for every 10 000 people. What is the government doing to increase the funding for more beds and more public treatment facilities, particularly in Melbourne, so the overburdening of the system does not result in addicts in need of medical treatment ending up in jail rather than rehabilitation?

 Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:03): I thank Mr Hayes for his question. Mr Hayes, I am not sure your information is actually correct. I think there are more than 400 beds across the state, and I certainly know of a new facility in Wangaratta. That was an announcement that I was very proud to be involved in. Ms Shing has indicated that Traralgon had a similar investment. We take these matters seriously. We know that people require these services, require these beds, which is why we made the investment. It is in stark contrast to the former government. When the coalition were in they added two in their whole term. This is something that we certainly sought to rectify when we came into government in 2014, and it is a continued effort from our government. But of course I can get you more information from the relevant ministers.

Ms Crozier: On a point of order, President—I am just wondering—you asked Mr Hayes to redirect his question, as advised by the Leader of the Government, to the Minister for Health. If that gets handballed from the Minister for Health, as I suspect it will, to the Minister for Mental Health, could that please be redirected to the proper minister?

The PRESIDENT: I gave a ruling for Mr Hayes to redirect, and he did. The minister has answered that question and referred it to the minister.