Tuesday, 20 June 2023

 Nicholas McGOWAN (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (13:33): I too rise to offer my condolences to the families and the Victorians impacted by the tragedy at Greta in the Hunter Valley, and I know that in doing so I reflect the condolences from my fellow member Matt Bach in this place, Dr Bach, but also in the other place Ryan Smith. I too send my condolences not only to the community of Warrandyte that we represent but also obviously to the cricket club. And further afield from the cricket club and Warrandyte, there are quite a number of Victorians, in the order of 16, that were in the bus, which carried 35 souls that night just over a week ago now. I give them our assurances that we will work both confidentially and privately to serve their every need in the days ahead.

I also would like to remind people not just in this place but also more generally that not all those with an injury are in a hospital bed necessarily, but in fact some of the greatest injuries are the mental anguish, anxiety and stress that will follow in the days, the weeks and the months to follow. I urge everyone here, and everyone right across Victoria and Australia for that matter, not to think that simply because they are not in hospital bed they are not a patient – they very much are, and they have our support.