Tuesday, 18 February 2025

Community safety

Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (17:55): (1411) My adjournment matter this evening is for the attention of the Minister for Health, and it relates to the very concerning issue of antisemitic behaviour within our hospitals. Sadly in Victoria since the 7 October massacre, which was 500 days ago, there has been a dramatic rise in antisemitic behaviour, and the video that emerged last week of two nurses in Bankstown shocked Australia. The New South Wales government was quick to condemn the appalling actions of these two individuals and spoke out swiftly and strongly. But what I am concerned about is the rise of this antisemitic behaviour in Victorian hospitals. A few months ago I met with my colleague David Southwick, the member for Caulfield, and a number of doctors who came into the Parliament and spoke to us about their concerns. Those concerns were realised when that video emerged last week in New South Wales. Hospitals should be a safe place – a place where, when you are at your most vulnerable, you will have the security of knowing that you will be cared for safely and in a professional manner. Our hospitals have mission statements and values statements. The Royal Melbourne Hospital, for instance, says:

Our Values

People First. Lead with Kindness. Excellence Together.

At Western Health:

Our Values

Compassion – consistently acting with empathy and integrity.

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Respect – for the rights, beliefs and choice of every individual.

The Northern:

safe: We provide safe, trusted care for our patients. We are inclusive and culturally safe, celebrating the diversity of our staff and community.

The Alfred:

Our purpose

To improve the lives of our patients and their families, our communities and humanity.

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We provide treatment, care and compassion to the people of Melbourne and Victoria.

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Across our diverse organisation, we value and respect life from beginning to end.

So while our health services all have mission and values statements that call for compassion, care and respect, there is evidence that health services are disregarding the standards they set for their own care. Recent revelations of activism in our hospitals include: at the Alfred a doctor calling a terrorist leader a martyr and calling Hamas, which is a government-listed terrorist organisation, ‘the resistance’; inflammatory anti-Israel stickers found throughout the Alfred; at Monash Children’s, staff wearing keffiyehs; and Healthcare Workers for Palestine, an anti-Israel activist group comprised of Victorian healthcare workers, have strewn provocative and hyperpolitical anti-Israel pamphlets across the Royal Children’s. I have spoken to a number of doctors who have told me of some very concerning behaviours by other doctors. This egregious behaviour is leading to very difficult working relationships and affecting rostering. This must stop. There are a number of actions I think should be taken, including AHPRA as the regulator doing what they should be when it comes to dealing with these individuals. However, the action I am specifically asking of the minister is to show the leadership that is desperately needed by developing statewide guidelines to protect Victorian patients from political activism in our hospitals.