Zoe McKenzie (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Rosebud Hospital is a much-loved institution on the southern Mornington Peninsula. Everyone who lives there has a story of how the hospital and its excellent staff has come to their rescue. But, in recent years, the stories about Rosebud are less about proud births, broken arms or learning to ride a bike and more about long waits in triage, an overwhelmed ED in summer and eventual transport to Frankston Hospital for anything more than a flesh wound.

Back in 2019, the federal coalition provided $5 million to the state government, which owns and operates the hospital, to do a business case to rebuild it. A month ago, with great fanfare, the state health minister, Mary-Anne Thomas, came to Rosebud for a grand announcement. There was much excitement and enthusiasm, particularly from community group that has argued for years for the much needed investment to redevelop it, only for them to be told the hospital would get—wait for the drum roll: $4 million.

Let me help you with the maths. In 2019, federal coalition provided $5 million for a business case. In 2022, the state coalition promised $340 million to rebuild the hospital. Six years later, the Labor Party in Victoria comes to the party with $4 million, roughly 0.01 per cent of what the hospital needs to be rebuilt. Even that is $1 million less than what the federal coalition provided six years ago. We all know that Victoria is broke and that each day another $20 million of Victorian taxpayers' money goes to paying interest on Labor's debt. Every month, Labor spends on interest what it could have spent on a full rebuild of the Rosebud Hospital.