THIS term of Parliament has seen some historic, game-changing wins on healthcare.
The first was the return of Mildura Base Hospital to public hands.
That was thanks to tenacious local activists and a Labor Government that was willing to listen.
Clearly, it was no thanks to the Liberal and National parties. Far from being allies in the fight, they were the reason for the problem in the first place, having privatised our hospital in 1998 and re-privatised it in 2015.
The second was the securing of a $2.1 million Masterplan for redevelopment.
The third was an extraordinary funding commitment from the Liberal Party, who seemed to have seen the error of their ways and were keen to redeem themselves.
Their $750 million promise felt a bit too good to be true, but in good faith, many locals embraced it.
Then came the headline in Wednesday’s The Age, “Opposition walks back from regional health pitch”.
The Coalition said it would fund ten regional hospitals with the $35 billion saved by “shelving” the Suburban Rail Loop. The problem was, their assumptions were wrong, and most of that money doesn’t exist.
The impact of the costing bungle on our hospital is unknown.
Meanwhile, Labor’s momentum seems to have stalled.
The masterplan for redevelopment was due in April. It’s now October. The election is in eight weeks. I have worked with the Government constructively and in good faith. I have been patient and accommodating. But my patience is wearing thin.
We deserve to see the Masterplan before the election and know what the Government intends to do with it.
Our electorate has done extraordinarily well in this term. But after decades of neglect, we still have a lot of catching up to do.
The big parties should remember, we are Victorians too.
Both sides would be well advised to not throw Mildura under the bus. They’ve tried it before and come off second best.
The lesson is clear: Don’t mess with the North West.
