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.
“Our paramedics do an incredible job serving our community, often in very challenging circumstances,” Ms Williams said.
“We’ll continue to back them, with vital investments that save lives, including 40 new MICA paramedics and an Australian-first Centre for Paramedicine.
“They’ve also asked us to work with them to deliver new targeted approaches to patient care, including Australia’s first paramedic practitioners, to give more people the care they need at home.”
During the election campaign, Premier Daniel Andrews announced a review into potentially deprivatising patient transport.
In the Mental Health portfolio, Ms Williams is also responding to a vast list of recommendations from the Mental Health Royal Commission.
“We know that the mental health system has for too long been too difficult to navigate,” she said.
“That’s why we’re delivering every recommendation of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System and we’ve invested more than $6 billion in the system.
“And that’s why we’ll deliver 50 local mental health services across the state to ensure mental health support is accessible close to home, no matter where you live.”
Ms Williams is also overseeing a nation-first actions on the Treaty and Truth elements of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
“We know that with First Peoples in the driver’s seat on the matters that directly affect them, Treaty will deliver better outcomes.
“That’s why Victoria will be the first jurisdiction in the nation to commence negotiations on treaty from 2023.”
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.
