Health funding
Chris CREWTHER (Mornington) (10:22): I rise today on Victoria’s health crisis. While the Labor government obsesses over its Big Build, with major projects blowing out by more than $40 billion and a white elephant $216 billion Suburban Rail Loop with no business case, our health system is reaching breaking point. We have ambulance ramping, high elective surgery waiting lists, underfunded hospitals and, sadly, Victorians dying or not being treated properly because of this government’s failures. More than half of the state’s health services are running critically low on money, with data earlier this year revealing 41 of our state’s 75 health services did not have 14-day cash supplies to cover operating expenses. Such shortages mean health services are making cuts, including through staff lay-offs and on preventative health and training and more. Hospitals like the Rosebud Hospital also linger in urgent need of redevelopment. Yet we have the government still finding money to spend $100,000 on a new Triple Zero Victoria logo. We also have continued ambulance ramping, with ambulances waiting outside hospitals, often unable to quickly transfer critically ill patients into emergency departments due to a lack of available beds and then not being able to get to other jobs. Under Labor a recent report also revealed a record 245 patients dying or suffering serious harm due to errors. (Time expired)