Ms MACKLIN —This morning I would like to talk about the election of a Labor government in Victoria, particularly the implications for my own electorate, which are very significant indeed. Located in Jagajaga is the largest teaching hospital in Victoria, the Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre, an outstanding hospital of international repute because of both its research capacity and the medical and nursing care conducted in that hospital.

One of the commitments of the previous Kennett government was to sell this outstanding teaching hospital, to privatise it, to take it away from the public and to hand it over to a private operator. We have been fighting this issue in Jagajaga for a very long time, since the first time we heard about it many years ago, as was usually the case with the Kennett government, off the back of a truck.

I am very pleased to say that one of the main commitments of the newly elected Bracks Labor government is that this hospital will no longer be privatised. It is a great achievement for all those local people who have worked so hard to stop the privatisation of this outstanding hospital. I hope also that, with the election of the Bracks Labor government, we have the end to the climate of fear that was right through that hospital. So many people in the hospital, ranging from the most senior doctor in the organisation down to those who were cleaning the place, were opposed to the privatisation. They were all opposed to the privatisation. Now, hopefully, they will be able to speak out in the interests of their patients and the hospital to say what they think should happen to our teaching hospital.

I am also pleased to say that the Bracks Labor government, in its election campaign, has already committed $155 million in capital works to upgrade the hospital. The people of our local area can look forward to an upgraded hospital continuing its outstanding work, a hospital that, because of the election of a Bracks Labor government, will no longer be sold. It will be there in perpetuity for local people, for the people of Victoria. It will not be sold into private hands. It is an outstanding achievement and one that we are so proud of. It comes as a result of such hard work from so many local people over a very long period of time.