Tuesday, 9 December 2025

 Nick McGOWAN (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (22:44): (2243) As the sun sets on yet another year I am drawn to reflect upon the year that was, and it is perhaps timely – and I say perhaps because it is always debatable – to quote some Shakespeare, and that is to say, Mrs McArthur, ‘Expectation is the root of all heartache.’ I think that probably is true in my case, because my heartache locally for the people of Ringwood East and for the people of Blackburn, Nunawading, Mitcham and Ringwood itself is of course that consistently throughout the course of history – Minister, welcome to the chamber –

Harriet Shing: I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

Nick McGOWAN: Thank you, Minister. You have joined us at an appropriate time, because what I am lamenting is my heartache. My heartache is about this: that for many, many years now local constituents have been promised improvements to our healthcare system, and sadly – in fact tragically – they have failed to be delivered. We should never forget that in 2018 the then government issued a press release, and it was titled ‘An emergency department Maroondah kids and their families can count on’. That was in 2018, and what that promise was –

Bev McArthur: How’s that going?

Nick McGOWAN: That is an interesting question you asked, Mrs McArthur: how is it going? In 2018 the then government promised an emergency department for children that the children locally could count on. I will tell you what, not only did it not happen in 2018, it never happened. It was never delivered.

Bev McArthur: What a disgrace.

Nick McGOWAN: It is. There are many words for it, but I am going to say ‘disappointment’ because it is extreme disappointment. Your word is perhaps more appropriate, but nonetheless. Fast forward to 2022: at that stage we were promised a $1.05 billion hospital – a hospital that not only serviced my local constituents but also serviced constituents maybe even as far afield as your constituency too, Minister. I wish you a merry Christmas as you leave the chamber. Nonetheless, there was to be a $1.05 billion Maroondah Hospital. Of course they have renamed the hospital, which is a great disservice to Indigenous people because they renamed it from Maroondah Hospital to Queen Elizabeth II hospital, which is a ridiculous name. There was no consultation with Indigenous people, and of course no-one uses that name to this day. Again, that hospital to this day, sadly – hence my heartache and hence the reference to Shakespeare at this late hour and on the last sitting day of the last month of this year, before we go into the last budget of this term of government next year – has still not had a shovel in the ground. In 2018 there was a broken promise to deliver an emergency department for the children, which we desperately needed and continue to need to this very day. In 2022 there was a promise to rebuild the hospital that has never eventuated – in fact we still do not have a commitment that the hospital will remain at the same site, much less in the same municipality. That brings us fast forward to next year, which is an election year. Premier, what I ask is that once and for all you commit in the final budget next year to the rebuilding of Maroondah Hospital. We desperately need it. Our locals deserve it. I implore you to do that.