Macedon MP Mary-Anne Thomas has announced she will retire from politics at the next election.
The local MP, who has represented the seat of Macedon since November 2014, also holds the ministries of Health, Women and Ambulance Services.
Ms Thomas issued the following statement this afternoon:
I have advised the Premier that it is my intention to step down from my ministerial responsibilities and that I will not contest the seat of Macedon at the forthcoming 2026 State Election.
Representing the people of Macedon and serving as Cabinet minister in the Andrews and Allan Labor governments has been an incredible privilege.
When Dan Andrews asked me to take on the health portfolio our health system was experiencing unprecedented challenges as a result of the COVID pandemic. I knew it would be hard. What I didn’t fully appreciate was how incredibly rewarding it would be.
Every visit to a health service confirms that our healthcare workers, with their unparalleled skill, commitment and compassion are the beating heart of our world class system. It has been a privilege to work with you.
Thank you to every one of you. You are the very best of the best.
Women’s rights are under attack from conservative political forces around the world.
That’s why as Minister for Health, and more recently as Minister for Women, it has been an honour to deliver significant reforms to make Victoria better.
We’ve embedded new services and set high expectations for equitable care through the establishment of 20 women’s health clinics and a virtual, mobile and dedicated Aboriginal women’s health clinic.
We’ve established public fertility care, led the world with our pain enquiry and expanded access to contraception and abortion care.
We’ve also established Urgent Care Clinics, the Virtual ED and our first Virtual hospital, while reform to planned surgery has seen Victoria deliver a record number of surgeries. We lead the nation when it comes to ensuring the most urgent surgeries are completed within clinically recommended times.
Our health services are now collaborating more than ever. Local Health Service Networks are delivering a better integrated health service system where more Victorians are getting access to the care they need closer to home.
We’ve expanded Nurse to Patient and Midwife to Patient ratios – putting patient safety first and supporting our nursing and midwifery workforces. We have also grown our on road Ambulance Victoria workforce by more than 50 per cent and we will be the first state or territory to introduce paramedic practitioners.
Our election commitment to support 800 junior doctors to take up a General Practitioner speciality is fully subscribed, and work is underway to enable specially trained GPs to diagnose ADHD.
Chemist Care Now is saving Victorians time and money and women have been the biggest beneficiaries with treatment for UTIs and resupply of the contraceptive pill and other hormonal contraceptives now part of the services pharmacists can deliver – with more to come.
Other highlights including reforming Victoria’s nation leading Voluntary Assisted Dying laws to ensure they keep pace with changes in other states and territories, as well as landmark legislation to protect children born with variations in their sex characteristics.
Our government’s commitment to self-determination for First Peoples is exemplified in our Partnership agreement with the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health sector and I am proud of the work we have done to ensure decisions about Aboriginal healthcare are in Aboriginal hands.
There is still much to do and this work will only continue under a Labor government.
I was proud to serve as Minister for Agriculture and Regional Development through COVID. My focus during that time was ensuring we could secure the housing and the workforce needed at a time when the inertia of the Morrison Government threated our horticultural sector.
Through that period I was pleased to lead key worker housing initiatives and place based economic development opportunities right across Victoria including in manufacturing and tourism.
My electorate of Macedon is made up of small towns and tight-knit communities who are passionate about sport, a great education and good secure jobs for their kids, as well as protecting the unique features of our region.
As local member, our government has delivered multimillion dollar redevelopments of each of our secondary schools, two brand new primary schools, and countless upgrades to schools right across the region.
The Macedon Ranges Regional Sports Precinct is the largest infrastructure project ever delivered in the Macedon Ranges and was made possible by State and Federal Labor Governments backing in our local communities. It complements the many new and upgraded sports facilities, playgrounds, parks and skate parks across Macedon.
Recognising the Macedon Ranges is home to significant biodiversity and landscapes, our Shire is the first to be protected by a planning scheme that legislates town boundaries.
Retiring from government and politics has been a tough decision. I have worked all my life for a better, fairer and more equal world, and my approach has always been to leave nothing in the tank.
I realise that I can’t make that same commitment for another four years.
Thanks to my incredible Ministerial team including my chief of staff Melissa Arch who has been with me from the day I was appointed Minister, and to my magnificent electorate office head by Kate-Ida Lee – and a reminder we are still here to serve the people of Macedon until the election.
I want to end by wishing JA and the entire Labor caucus team every success going forward. I look forward to supporting them to deliver a fourth term Labor Government.
