Footscray Hospital
Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (13:49): Almost seven years ago Labor promised a new hospital in Footscray at a cost of $1.5 billion with 504 beds. But again we see where they have been failing: they promised that it would be open in 2025, but this hospital, true to form, has been totally mismanaged by the Labor government – the budget has blown out to $2 billion and the project timelines have blown out. When it does open, it will not have the 504 beds as promised. It will have instead 284 beds, so that is 220 beds less than promised. In the government’s statement, as they often do, they use weasel words. In a report around the opening, the communication strategy was using the words ‘consider’, ‘move’, ‘settle’ and ‘growth’ rather than instead saying the things are not opening. They use these weasel words. They massage the community, promise the world and never deliver on time. We see that in the community hospitals also promised in Cranbourne and Craigieburn. Again, these facilities are not operating. They lie vacant and not operational. This government talks up the big game, but it continues to fail to deliver. They cannot manage money and cannot manage health, and it is Victorians who are paying the price.