Thursday, 2 April 2026

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (10:11): Last night the country waited with bated breath to hear the Prime Minister give his address to the nation, and what a totally underwhelming and pathetic address it was. It gave no assurity to the community about fuel reserves and how the government plans to manage the ongoing fuel crisis. Meanwhile, in Victoria the fuel crisis is real. It is affecting many Victorians, especially in regional Victoria where livelihoods depend on this resource and adequate fossil fuel supplies. But it is not only livelihoods that are being affected, it is also affecting Victorians’ health care. They just cannot afford to get to medical appointments, and in many instances they are skipping or deferring those appointments. As a result of the fuel crisis the VPTAS – the Victorian patient transport assistance scheme – which is an assistance scheme provided by the state government which so many Victorians rely on, is just not keeping up with the fuel crisis costs either, and that is why so many Victorians are missing out on their very necessary medical appointments. This is the reality of what is happening because of the fuel crisis. Just like the federal government, the state Labor government, with their counterparts, mouth words but deliver next to nothing.