Victoria’s healthcare’s long waiting lists for surgery and dental work, staff shortages and inadequate facilities was one of the key themes that state liberal leader Matthew Guy highlighted at the launch of Recover Rebuild – the party’s blueprint for the state’s recovery from the COVID pandemic before Melbourne’s multicultural media on Thursday.
Flanked by Shadow Minister of Health, Ambulance Services Georgie Crozier and Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs Craig Ondarchie, Mr Guy said the party would focus on reducing the current waiting list of 100,000 people waiting for elective surgery; improving emergency services staffing and response times. This included dealing with the 150,000 backlog in dental treatments.
He said an additional 2,500 health workers would be needed to deal with growing mental health crisis as a result of the state, and Melbourne in particular, enduring the world’s longest lockdowns.
He pledged health infrastructure improvements.
There will be no more lockdowns, with vaccinations and appropriate use of masks to counter new strains of the virus.
Schools will not close and teachers will be required to be vaccinated and carry out regular tests.
The party has pledged a $2.5 billion package to bring manufacturing back to the state.
There will be no new taxes to stimulate growth and there would be a focus on small business to lead the recovery and provide more jobs.
There will be a drive to speed up processing to bring in international students and skilled migrants to Victoria particularly to help the state’s agricultural sector. Students from countries other than China should also be encouraged to come to Victoria including India, Asia and South America.
Mr Guy said he would “encourage” people to bring their parents to Australia and he would follow up on this pledge.
He said the party would look to increase the state advertising level to multicultural media which could have been more effectively used during the pandemic to provide important information to the ethnic communities in their languages.
In relation to China, Mr Guy said there was need for mutual level of respect and dialogue but he would look to other markets in Asia and elsewhere for trade.
