Speaking in Parliament, The Nationals’ Member for Euroa, Annabelle Cleeland, has condemned the Allan Labor Government’s catastrophic mismanagement of Victoria’s health system, warning that critical services are collapsing under pressure.
Ms Cleeland’s comments follow fresh reports of ambulance crews stretched to breaking point, with staff shortages so severe that crisis talks have been called at Ambulance Victoria. Chronic under-resourcing, single-officer crews, and an overwhelmed system are leaving Victorians in life-threatening situations.
Over the weekend, one-third of the metro ambulance fleet was offline, leaving single-officer crews unable to transport patients and stretching response times to dangerous levels.
“The delays in our ambulance services are not just inconveniences – they are life-threatening,” Ms Cleeland said.
“When an ambulance is delayed or sitting idle, it’s not just a statistic – it’s someone’s mother, father, child, or friend waiting for critical care. The government’s failure to fix this is costing lives.”
Ambulance Victoria’s target is to reach 85% of Code 1 cases within 15 minutes. In reality, response times in regional areas are dangerously inadequate – just 36% of calls in Strathbogie Shire meet this benchmark, with similar failures in Benalla, Mitchell Shire, and Greater Bendigo.
Ms Cleeland also slammed the Allan Government’s failure to protect frontline healthcare services, pointing to the closure of birthing services at Benalla Health and reduced operating hours at Kilmore Health.
She also highlighted the ongoing regional dental crisis, with children as young as nine being hospitalised for entirely preventable dental conditions.
“At a time when they are needed most, regional Victorians are watching their hospitals shut down services and their emergency responders stretched beyond capacity,” Ms Cleeland said.
“And instead of fixing these failures, the government is actively stripping support away from families who rely on the public health system.”
The latest example of this mismanagement is the government’s decision to evict sick Victorians from the Royal Women’s Hospital’s free accommodation, which has long been used by parents of premature babies, cancer patients, and regional families needing urgent care.
The facility is being sold off to make way for new apartments, forcing vulnerable patients to find alternative accommodation in Melbourne’s skyrocketing rental market.
“These families—many of whom are already facing the worst days of their lives – are now expected to cover the shortfall between a $45 per night allowance and an average hotel cost of $234 per night,” Ms Cleeland said.
“Ripping support from parents of sick newborns and cancer patients while the government racks up record debt is an appalling reflection of Labor’s priorities.”
Victoria’s gross state debt is set to explode to $228 billion in just three years, with the Allan Government scrambling to sell off assets and slash essential services to cover its financial mismanagement.
“The government’s failure to prioritise healthcare is forcing Victorians to pay the price for its incompetence,” Ms Cleeland said.
“Our health system is broken. Ambulances can’t reach patients in time, regional hospitals are shutting down services, and now vulnerable families are being kicked out of hospital accommodation. How much worse does it have to get before Labor takes responsibility?”
