Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Now more than ever, Western Sydney deserves better health infrastructure. The population of the north-west is forecast to soar, and its needs cannot be absorbed by Blacktown and Westmead hospitals alone. What Western Sydney residents want and need is a first-rate emergency ward at the long promised Rouse Hill Hospital. They do not want a glorified medical centre. Just last week, a local resident reached out to me, saying: 'Please keep fighting for an emergency department in Rouse Hill. I went to Westmead Hospital yesterday but gave up after hours of waiting for triage in the car park, with a crowd of other very sick, coughing elderly people lying on benches or in wheelchairs outside for hours. It's a disaster.'

That same week, the Daily Telegraph broke that the New South Wales Liberal government has disposed of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of dodgy PPE, and reports about an audit of NSW Health revealed that, in total, $775 million worth of COVID-19 inventory, including PPE, was either written off or impaired. Can you imagine what $775 million could have delivered for increased health capacity in Western Sydney? In the lead-up to the 2015 state election, the New South Wales Liberals promised to build a hospital at Rouse Hill to cater for this growth. It's now 2022, and they are still consulting on what capabilities and functions the hospital should have. It's not good enough. I will continue to fight for the people of Greenway to have the best health facilities possible.

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Mackellar has the call for 20 seconds.