Thursday, 3 April 2025

Medical research

Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (18:21): (1591) My adjournment matter this evening is for the attention of the Minister for Health, and I am raising this issue again. I have just been listening to Mr Welch, who did a very passionate and excellent adjournment matter around the priorities that this government is choosing, whether it is all of those aspects that he raised or the Suburban Rail Loop. One area he did not talk about was medical research, and that is the issue I want to raise tonight. I have raised this in this place before, asking the Treasurer and the minister to ensure that there is appropriate funding in this year’s budget to assist with medical research institutes. I have said before they are at risk of going broke. Sixty million dollars they are saying today that they need to cover costs for things like IT and laboratory maintenance, so it is just basic things like equipment. These institutes do lifesaving work. Their research is critical within our health system, and it is a major contributor to our economy. But what is really alarming is that the government is providing the lowest level of support for indirect costs for the medical research institutes compared to funding that is provided in other states. Also, with this lack of funding being provided there are job losses. As reported today, at least 200 jobs have been lost in the last 12 months, including 130 research roles. These research roles are critical to saving patients’ lives, as I have said, they are critical to assisting our healthcare system and they are critical to the Victorian economy. So the action I seek is: what impact are these job losses having on the future viability of our medical research institutes in this state?