Tuesday, 2 June 2026

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (14:31): (1331) My question is again to the Minister for Health. Minister, why was there no orthopaedic surgical coverage at Latrobe Regional Health last Friday?

The PRESIDENT: I just would say that there has been –

David Davis interjected.

The PRESIDENT: I am just saying the level of detail may not be –

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: I am going to call the minister, but I am just saying that that could be a concern.

 Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Ambulance Services, Minister for Health, Minister for Water) (14:31): Ms Crozier, we have been here before, and I will take us here again. When you come to this place and you ask questions with a level of very local granular detail, it is very difficult for me to be able to provide you with a very local granular answer. On that basis, Ms Crozier, I would seek your forbearance as I get that information, and to that end I am always happy, if you would like to contact my office, to provide this information to you. There are a number of your colleagues who do exactly this, and we are in a position to facilitate support and assistance to them. Ms Crozier, if that is the use of your question, then my answer relates to the fact that I will get you some further information once I have an opportunity to seek it.

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (14:32): Minister, this issue was raised on Melbourne radio last week – last Friday. It is in the public domain. I do not know what your staff or what your office are doing, but you should be aware of what is happening in our health services, because they are failing Victorians because of your leadership. Minister, Latrobe Regional Health is a lead hospital under the government’s amalgamations. If they cannot provide basic services such as orthopaedic cover – meaning there was no orthopaedic surgeon available between Bega and Dandenong – then how is the lead hospital going to provide backup services and support the communities of East Gippsland?

 Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Ambulance Services, Minister for Health, Minister for Water) (14:33): Thank you, Ms Crozier. Again, you are referring to –

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: Order! Mr McIntosh, please.

Harriet SHING: You are referring to a very local, very time-specific matter for one part of the state.

Georgie Crozier interjected.

The PRESIDENT: Ms Crozier, the minister is trying to answer the question.

Harriet SHING: Ms Crozier, if you would like me to seek information for you –

Georgie Crozier: I do. I am asking you – in question time.

Harriet SHING: If you are asking for information, which you have just indicated you are after, then I am very happy to seek further information and to provide it to you.

Georgie Crozier: On a point of order, President, I think the minister has confused it with the first question, which she was going to undertake to do. But this question is regarding the amalgamations that the government is undertaking and this being a lead hospital. She does not need to get information; she needs to answer the question that was asked of her.

The PRESIDENT: There was a referral to the specialist as well.

Georgie Crozier: No. How is the lead hospital going to provide backup services?

The PRESIDENT: Yes, there was a referral, which –

Georgie Crozier: Would you like me to repeat it?

The PRESIDENT: No. The minister has got 2 seconds. Minister, do you want 2 seconds? No.