Tuesday, 16 June 2026

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:27): (1354) My question is to the Minister for Health. Minister, the Victorian government first announced a plan to develop a national centre for proton beam therapy in 2015. In 2016 the then health minister in a media release said:

Victoria has provided $50 million in funding towards establishing a National Proton Beam Therapy Centre for the treatment of cancer in Melbourne.

She went on to say:

Following last year’s investment of $2 million, this $50 million means planning activities can intensify to develop a proton beam … centre in Parkville.

In PAEC last month you said:

There is ongoing discussion happening with the Commonwealth …

Minister, given the $52 million allocated in the 2015–16 and 2016–17 budgets, what planning activities occurred and what was the money spent on?

 Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Ambulance Services, Minister for Health, Minister for Water) (12:28): Thank you, Ms Crozier, for that question. I want to perhaps expand upon what you have just said in your question around what I said at the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee hearings on proton beam therapy. As you would be aware, proton beam therapy is an incredibly complex process that is not available anywhere in Australia. We see that patients are having to be treated overseas, which costs a lot of money and involves a lot of impact on people who need that therapy. I just want to also be really clear: we are continuing to work with the Commonwealth. I have been very clear in advocating for proton beam therapy to be able to be delivered here in Victoria. We know that we have the capacity, we know that we have the expertise and we know that we have the interest across the specialist and clinical landscape to be able to do that work. We also know that it will make a fundamental difference to the existing services we have here and will provide that access for people to find that therapy here.

It initially, as you would be aware, Ms Crozier, had gone to South Australia as –

Georgie Crozier interjected.

Harriet SHING: It had initially, as you indicated in your question, been something that we had advocated for, and there was a preliminary decision to send that to South Australia. As the federal minister has also indicated – and I am paraphrasing him – he was clear that South Australia had not been in a position to be able to advance that work to deliver on proton beams. So on that basis we have continued to advocate for –

Georgie Crozier: On a point of order, President, I am well aware of the history and the announcement by the government of $400 million back in 2016. My question was very specific. Where has the $52 million gone that was allocated in the 2015–16 and 2016–17 budgets? I would ask you to ask the minister to come back to that specific question.

The PRESIDENT: I will call the minister back to the question.

Harriet SHING: Ms Crozier, your preamble was actually really broad in relation to proton beam therapy, and what I am going to say in response to your question is –

Georgie Crozier: On a point of order, President, I know the minister is trying to deflect from the question. My preamble was specifically around the $52 million. I was explaining what had been said previously. I would ask you to ask the minister to come back to rather than debate the question.

The PRESIDENT: I think the minister was being relevant to the question, but I will call her back to the question.

Harriet SHING: Ms Crozier, you might not like the answer, but I want to be really clear about the work that we are doing to attract and deliver the best and brightest people, the infrastructure and the services that can deliver life-changing work through proton beam therapy. It has been reported –

Georgie Crozier: On a point of order, President, there are 30 seconds to go for the minister to respond to the very specific question I asked, and I would ask you to bring the minister back to answering the question. Where has the $52 million gone?

The PRESIDENT: I had a sense the minister was about to answer that.

Harriet SHING: Ms Crozier, it has been reported by the media – so you would know it – that we have a business case that has been developed and that is being shared by the Commonwealth. We continue to work with the Commonwealth in relation to a decision on proton beam. There were delays because of South Australia. We have inserted ourselves into this process not just to attract the jobs but also the expertise, and Ms Crozier, I would very much welcome a unity ticket with you on this so that we can deliver the services that Victorians and Australians deserve.

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:32): I note that the minister did not go anywhere near answering that question on behalf of the Victorian taxpayer, so I will ask: Minister, did the Victorian government ask the federal Labor government not to proceed with an announcement for a proton beam therapy centre that they were going to make in this year’s federal budget?

 Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Ambulance Services, Minister for Health, Minister for Water) (12:33): Sorry, Ms Crozier, did we ask the Commonwealth not to announce an investment that we would be delighted to receive in Victoria? Ms Crozier, it beggars belief that you would get to your feet in this place and seek to imply that we are not trying to develop biomedical biotech and digitech to deliver cutting-edge supports. Again, Ms Crozier, I have got absolutely no knowledge of any assertion that you are making along those lines. I am really determined to continue to talk to the things that Victoria can deliver, but if you want to run a narrative like this, then no doubt you will find an opportunity to do so. In the meantime we will continue to advocate for the sorts of support services, investment and infrastructure that will save people’s lives. If you want to go on a frolic of your own and down a rabbit hole around what we are doing with the Commonwealth, that speaks more to your relationship with them than ours.

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:34): I move:

That the minister’s answers be taken into consideration on the next day of meeting.

Motion agreed to.