By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Dandenong MP Gabrielle Williams has been tasked with overseeing Victoria’s underperforming ambulance services in the latest State Cabinet reshuffle.
Ms Williams, who claimed Victoria’s safest seat after the recent State Election, also retains the Mental Health and the Treaty and First Peoples portfolios.
As the new Ambulance Services Minister, Ms Williams inherits an ambulance system heavily criticised for critically slow response times during Covid-19.
During the election campaign, Premier Daniel Andrews announced a review into potentially deprivatising patient transport.
The Government also pledged invest $16 million to for a further 40 MICA paramedics, and $10 million towards an Australian-first Centre for Paramedicine.
In her other portfolios, Ms Williams is also responding to a vast list of recommendations from the Mental Health Royal Commission.
Mr Andrews described her task as “continuing to rebuild the state’s mental health services from the ground up”.
Ms Williams is also overseeing a nation-first Treaty process with First Peoples.
Meanwhile, Mordialloc MP Tim Richardson has been assigned parliamentary secretary roles for mental health and suicide prevention and for health infrastructure.
He was previously parliamentary secretary for schools and for mental health and social inclusion.
