Today’s announcement by Acting Health Minister Martin Foley is just more hollow words for the Melton community.
The Melton community joins Craigieburn, Cranbourne, Eltham, Fishermans Bend, Frankston, Pakenham, Philip Island, Point Cook, Sunbury, Torquay and Whittlesea as all being promised a new hospital for their community by Daniel Andrews, but not one cent has been provided for construction.
The announcement comes with no new funding, no funded capital budget and no commitment to reduce the existing waiting lists Melton residents are suffering today.
The Andrews Labor Government has asked the Melton community to trust them again – just like when former Labor MP Don Nardella spoke about the need for funding Melton Hospital in November 2000.
What we have seen from Daniel Andrews and Labor has been cuts to hospital budgets or lacklustre increases that fall short of CPI.
What we have seen from Daniel Andrews and Labor are Victorian patients being left on waiting lists for years desperately waiting for the surgeries they need.
What we have seen from Daniel Andrews and Labor is a budget deficit and Victoria’s credit card maxing out, meaning communities like Melton don’t receive funding to build their promised hospital.
Since the 2018 election, Victorians have also endured Labor’s funding cuts to dental and community health, cuts to women’s health, cuts to some palliative care services, uncertainty for Primary Care Partnerships, cuts to health protection, cuts to family violence programs and cuts to cancer treatment technology – all because Labor can’t manage money.
Georgie Crozier MP
Shadow Minister for Health