Thursday, 30 October 2025

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:17): (1104) My question is to the Minister for Mental Health. Minister, the youth-specific AOD treatment waitlist has 415 young people waiting for treatment, which is an additional 100 young people from just two years ago. What advice have you received of how the lack of access to AOD treatment for young people is impacting on Victoria’s youth crime crisis?

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (12:17): I thank Ms Crozier for her question. I think it is always important to be cautious about not conflating the issues of AOD and addiction and the challenges that come with that with crime. I think that you as a former health employee would know that that can have a negative impact and increase the amount of stigma that is being experienced, particularly by young people who may be struggling with addiction. But I am very happy to talk about this in terms of my strong commitment and focus on how we can continue to reduce drug harm, particularly for our young people. We have, since 2014, more than doubled our investment to expand drug treatment supports and harm minimisation services for those who need them the most in the community. We do know and we acknowledge that there have been some escalated harms and the demand for services has grown. That is why we have introduced a number of important reforms, including pill testing and our $95 million statewide action plan to reduce drug harm. This included a Victorian-first trial of hydromorphone, which came up in question time yesterday; expanded pharmacotherapy around the state; and enhanced access to naloxone. We are in the process of delivering a state-of-the-art, enhanced community health hub in the heart of the CBD. When it comes to rehab beds, Ms Crozier, we will continue to invest in these important services. We have doubled the number of beds across the state since we came into government. We have 502 rehab beds. The majority of these increases have been in rural and regional Victoria. We have delivered brand new facilities in Corio, in Wangaratta and in Traralgon, which are dedicated youth beds collectively providing care and support to an additional 900 Victorians every year.

Jaclyn Symes interjected.

Ingrid STITT: Two – I will take that interjection from the Treasurer. How many did they add in their four years in government? How many rehab beds? Two.

We are also delivering a 32-bed rehab facility in Mildura for the Mallee region, which is another important addition to rehab beds. In addition to that, we are delivering emergency department AOD hubs, which is about making sure people who present in drug crisis have the support that they need. Importantly, we are talking to the sector about how we can continue to strengthen the supports we provide through the development of an AOD strategy that I will be very pleased to release very soon.

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:21): Clearly, given there are growing numbers of young people waiting on this waitlist, you are failing these young Victorians. The blowout of AOD treatment has occurred under your watch. Why?

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (12:21): I just think that sometimes it is more about the theatre of asking the question than actually listening to the answer.

Georgie Crozier: On a point of order, President, the minister refused to answer the substantive. These are additional young Victorians on the waitlist. These questions are important. Throwing around numbers is clearly not working. I am asking why the minister has failed, and I would ask you to draw her attention back to my question rather than attacking the opposition.

The PRESIDENT: I think you are debating your point of order. The minister got 11 seconds into her answer.

Ingrid STITT: If I could be so bold as to provide some advice to Ms Crozier, perhaps she might want to review the Hansard, then she might actually get more familiar with the work that we are doing in this space. What I would say is that making sure that young people get the AOD and mental health supports they need is an absolute priority for me as minister and for our government.