MR PALLAS (Werribee—Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Industrial Relations) (14:40):

I rise to update the house on the Andrews Labor government’s historic investment in our health system to keep Victorians safe during the insidious global COVID-19 pandemic.

As Victorians have come to learn, testing was and remains a vital part of our armoury in response to the global pandemic.

Our government has committed over $20 billion in funding since the pandemic began to protect Victorians by setting up state-run PCR testing facilities, establishing mass vaccination centres and helping our hospitals cope with the extraordinary pressure placed on them by the pandemic.

Whether it was the $1.4 billion package announced in January to ensure that doctors, nurses and paramedics have the resources and support that they need in order to continue caring for Victorians in hospitals or at home, or the $1.5 billion COVID catch-up plan that was announced by the Minister for Health and the Deputy Premier over the weekend, Victorians can trust this government to adequately resource our health system.

This is in sharp contrast to the federal government, who have failed to deliver on their fair share yet again. In their budget last week $1.5 billion of costs for Victoria’s COVID response went missing.

Well, it is time the Morrison government lived up to the commitment that they should be making to all Victorians, to all Australians, because I have news for the federal government: we are part of Australia.

It did not appear in their budget, but I can assure you we are. We deserve our fair share of funding, and it is time that those opposite stood up to the Prime Minister for Sydney and started fighting for this state.