Tuesday, 8 September 2026

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:32): (1466) My question is again to the Minister for Health. Minister, last Wednesday night, on 2 September, a code brown was initiated at the Royal Melbourne Hospital due to a significant electrical failure. Services at the Royal Melbourne were disrupted, with patients being diverted to the Alfred hospital. How many surgeries were cancelled because of the code brown at the Royal Melbourne Hospital?

The PRESIDENT: I will ask the minister to answer, taking note of the level of detail that has been asked.

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ambulance Services, Special Minister of State) (12:33): I thank Ms Crozier for her question. I obviously have been advised of the situation that occurred at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. They experienced a power outage last week, and their backup power arrangements operated as planned. The hospital activated its contingency plans, which was appropriate in those circumstances, and continued to provide care to its patients. Ambulance Victoria temporarily diverted some patients to other hospitals while the matters were being managed. I am advised that those diversions were managed very smoothly, with AV allocating resources across the system to make sure that patients continued to get the care that they needed. I do want to acknowledge the team at the Royal Melbourne, who managed this situation with professionalism, calmly, and managed it very well. I am advised that the hospital and the broader health system responded exactly as they should in these circumstances, and I thank them for their efforts in dealing with this situation promptly.

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:34): Again the minister has gone nowhere near answering the question given the electrical failure and the disruptions to patients at not only the Royal Melbourne but also other hospitals. Minister, we know that thousands of Victorians are waiting for surgery – tens of thousands in fact – although we do not yet have the most recent quarterly data, including the surgery waitlist, which you have failed to release. The last data we have is from January to March. Minister, how many patients are on Victoria’s planned surgery waitlist?

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ambulance Services, Special Minister of State) (12:35): I just want to take issue with the way in which Ms Crozier is framing this question, because of course I did answer her substantive question by reassuring the chamber that safe care was provided throughout this situation, and I thank those at the Royal Melbourne Hospital for their work.

Georgie Crozier: On a point of order, President, the minister in her answer is debating the question that I put in my supplementary. I would ask you to draw her back to the specifics about this very basic question that I have asked: how many Victorians are waiting for surgery?

The PRESIDENT: I am just a little bit concerned about how it related to the substantive question.

Georgie Crozier: Can I explain it to you?

The PRESIDENT: Yes, sure.

Georgie Crozier: The first question was around how, because of the electrical failure, surgeries had to be cancelled.

Members interjecting.

Georgie Crozier: A long bow – are you serious? At the Alfred last week elective surgeries had to be cancelled.

The PRESIDENT: Yes, I understand that, because of a power outage.

Georgie Crozier: When the Royal Melbourne Hospital’s electrical failure occurred, more surgeries had to be cancelled on Thursday and Friday. So surgeries were cancelled – that is people waiting for surgery – and that is what I asked. She did not answer that. I am asking the second question: how many Victorians are waiting for surgery?

The PRESIDENT: The substantive was about an occurrence with a power outage at one hospital, and then the supplementary was about, I understand – I hate to paraphrase – the whole health system through all hospitals. But I will let the minister continue as she sees fit.

Ingrid STITT: Although Ms Crozier is trying to link a bunch of things in that supplementary question, the fact remains that the power outage at the Royal Melbourne was handled in a manner which made sure that patients in that hospital received the care that they needed without disruption.

Georgie Crozier: On a point of order, President, we have got 20 seconds left. The minister is going nowhere near answering the question. I ask you to bring her back. Stop diverting from the supplementary and answer it: how many Victorians are waiting for surgery? It is very simple.

The PRESIDENT: As I stated, my concern is around the substantive and the supplementary, but the minister can continue.

Ingrid STITT: In fact our health services and our incredible health workforce have delivered record numbers of surgeries in the 2025–26 financial year. Over 210,000 surgeries have been performed in Victoria, which is a credit –

Georgie Crozier: On a point of order, there are 7 seconds left, President. The minister is going nowhere near answering this very simple question: how many Victorians are waiting for surgery?

Sonja Terpstra: On the point of order, President, every question time the same thing happens: those opposite continue to interrupt the minister giving an answer by saying she is not answering it. There have been multiple rulings in this place that say that those opposite cannot direct a minister how to answer a question. The minister is answering, and they do not want to hear the answer because they do not like it. That is not a point of order for those opposite to make, and I would ask that the minister be allowed to continue in silence without continued interruption and interjection from those opposite. I also cannot hear her.

The PRESIDENT: On the point of order, Ms Terpstra is right in that the minister can answer the way she sees fit. If the opposition are not happy with an answer, then they can call a point of order at the end of question time and ask me to review it, if I have not asked the minister to give a written answer within the standing orders.

Ingrid STITT: Our government’s planned surgery blueprint is a game changer for delivering record numbers of surgeries across the system – (Time expired)

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:39): I move:

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

Motion agreed to.