Tuesday, 8 September 2026

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (14:32): I was delighted to be with the Leader of the Opposition Jess Wilson, the candidate for Bass Rochelle Halstead, who is doing a terrific job in her area, Ms Bath and Mr Farnham to make an announcement on something that has been missing for a long time: a health workforce incentive scheme for rural and regional Victoria. For far too long Labor has ignored the needs of rural and regional Victoria, and in the area of health care it is a very significant issue. I really want to just make a note to those stakeholders that I have spoken with who have consistently told me that this is a barrier to being able to provide health care in rural and regional communities. That is why we did make the announcement that doctors, nurses, midwives and allied health professionals will be offered an incentive of $10,000 to fill critical jobs in rural and regional Victoria and to have a retention scheme and to offer those payments for those areas that are really hard to fill. That is why it has been so widely supported and recognised. I want to thank those people that have spoken to me over the last 3½ years in relation to these barriers, and I am looking forward to implementing this policy under a Wilson-led government.