Tuesday, 22 September 2026

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (23:51): (2825) I am glad the minister is at the table tonight, because the issue I want to raise in the adjournment debate is for the Minister for Mental Health. I want to make a few comments around the failures in the system, and concerningly where the data is. I have raised on a number of occasions in my shadow portfolio of health the lack of transparency that the Carroll Labor government is adhering to. The Premier says he is for integrity and it is not optional, but I think that is just hollow words, given his ministers are not following through with what so many within the community are expecting.

In an article in the Age 10 days ago there were very concerning comments from leading health professionals and the sector around the Department of Health’s quarterly performance data showing the state has gone backwards since the royal commission into mental health five years ago. In fact they say that, then, 49 per cent of patients were looking at being transferred from an emergency department. Now that number is at 46 per cent, so it is going backwards. Our emergency departments are struggling, but this government has failed to address the systemic issues right across the system, and the mental health system is no different. In this article it goes on to say that the AMA met with the minister, and they came out confused because the government claimed it had delivered more new mental health beds than anyone working in the health system can account for. The royal commission recommended the government introduce at least 270 new adult mental health beds, but the monitor who is looking at the royal commission’s recommendations can only account for 174 of those beds being opened. The minister told the delegation that 230 new mental health beds had been opened but refused to give a breakdown of where the beds were. Minister, I do not expect you to provide that information to us this evening, but I would ask you to take it on notice and provide to the Parliament, to the people of Victoria, where those beds are. Give us the breakdown of where those beds are for us to understand why there is just such an issue with the data not being released and where it is going backwards. These are huge failures. Clearly you have not delivered on what you said, the stakeholders are confused and it is Victorian mental health patients who are really paying the price.