Thursday, 1 September 2022

Minister for Health

Ms CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (17:47): (2116) My adjournment matter this evening is to the Minister for Health, and I have to say that it has been quite extraordinary to hear the former Minister for Health speak out against the Ombudsman at a speech that she delivered at a book launch on Tuesday night regarding the lockdowns and the thousands of Victorians that were locked out of the state or locked in public housing towers. I find it extraordinary that the former minister is having a hissy fit about this. This will go down as one of the most inhumane—

Ms Shing: On a point of order, President, I would ask in fact that if Ms Crozier has a substantive allegation to put she should do so by way of a substantive motion.

Ms CROZIER: Well, it was reported.

Ms Shing: So?

Ms CROZIER: President, I will rephrase it.

The PRESIDENT: Yes, you cannot make an allegation or anything in the adjournment, Ms Crozier. I agree with the point of order. I will be listening very carefully.

Ms CROZIER: All right. I was making the point that reports were saying that the former minister was not happy with the Ombudsman’s comments that she made at a speech at a book launch about the inhumane actions and decisions made by the Andrews government. I agree with her. The Liberals and Nationals think that the former minister should apologise to the Ombudsman for the comments that he has made publicly on this matter.

But my matter tonight goes to the current health minister as well, and it goes to another apology, because today in question time my colleague Mr O’Brien raised a very important matter about one of his constituents and somebody that he knew that was taken to hospital and did not receive appropriate care—and in the words of her son, ‘didn’t have any care’—and sadly, Ms Snell died. When this was asked of the minister, the minister made these comments:

… people in our health system do not always have good outcomes.

Mr Davis: Shameful.

Ms CROZIER: Well, it is shameful, Mr Davis. It does not get any worse than that. They are insensitive, they are arrogant and they are non-caring comments. I think the minister needs to really have a good hard look at herself and see if she is fit to be the health minister, with comments like this. We have got too many Victorians that have died because of the failures of the Andrews government.

Mr Davis: 000s.

Ms CROZIER: Well, it is 000s, it is ambulance, it is not being able to get their vital surgery and then it is things like the tragic circumstances of Ms Snell, and her family deserve an apology. The minister has not done that today, she has just gone to ground. I think that is incredibly disappointing, and the action I am seeking is for the minister to immediately apologise to this family and to every Victorian who lost loved ones as a result of the Andrews government’s failures in the health system.