Tuesday, 18 February 2025

 Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (12:41): (804) My question is for the Treasurer. In 2021 the government took the nation-leading step to embed early intervention into its budget processes through the early intervention investment framework. Early intervention is essential if we want to reduce the human and financial costs of issues that are left unaddressed. This includes prevalent social harms, from chronic disease to crime and from parental neglect to poor youth mental health. This framework is a key legacy not only of your government but also of your predecessor Tim Pallas. Treasurer, are you committed to continuing support for the early intervention investment framework?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:42): I really welcome the question from Dr Mansfield and obviously her interest in the benefits of the EIIF, the early intervention investment framework, for the topics that she ran through. This is certainly about identifying opportunities to make early investments for social good, and it has the added benefit of being good for the economy and the state budget in terms of avoiding future costs when things get harder in a lot of the cohorts that you have mentioned. It has been in place for five years. I do thank the former Treasurer for his leadership in his role in creating the EIIF. It is something that treasurers from around the rest of the country have expressed an interest in learning more about, and it is something that they have asked me to present on at a future meeting when we come together. When it comes to the investment, we have invested $2.7 billion through EIIF to date, generating over $3 billion of economic and financial benefits in its high-impact initiatives. It is something that I am committed to keeping going, and you will see features of that in the upcoming budget.

 Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (12:43): I thank the Treasurer for her response. Investment in early intervention initiatives that are culturally safe is particularly important for Victoria’s First Nations communities. As we have seen from the latest federal Closing the Gap report, our governments have a long journey ahead before achieving true reconciliation of social and health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Treasurer, are you committed to the early intervention and investment framework maintaining cultural safety as a key pillar, including the direct funding of our Aboriginal-controlled health services for their self-determined purposes?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:44): I thank Dr Mansfield for her supplementary question, and it would touch on similar issues that Yoorrook have been exploring in relation to ministers and departments that have appeared before them and also in relation to treaty negotiations. In terms of EIIF initiatives that support First Peoples’ outcomes, there was $94 million in EIIF initiatives in the last budget. ACCOs contributed to an estimated $200 million of that EIIF funding. DTF did partner with VACCA to develop the EIIF cultural safety framework in consultation with a range of ACCOs. I say that and it sounds good, but I acknowledge that we have got more to do. The department has started the partnership, and I am really excited about the opportunities in relation to cultural safety and outcomes for Aboriginal Victorians. I think it is a really exciting area; my commitment to it is strong. It is just the beginning of the process. We will continue meaningful engagement with the stakeholders and Aboriginal communities and ACCOs as we really grow our understanding about the benefits that this process can produce.