The Coalition has pledged to reduce the waitlists for elective surgeries by 50% if they win in the upcoming state election.
This initiative has received support from the private hospital sector, which cites a similar successful program in Queensland.
In contrast, Labor has promised to revert the changes to land tax that were implemented in 2023.
Currently, the waitlist for elective surgeries in Victoria has been on the rise, with around 68,730 patients—both urgent and non-urgent—waiting for procedures as of June.
Opposition Leader Jess Wilson announced her party’s plan to introduce a program that would allow public patients to opt for their surgeries at private hospitals at no additional cost.
“This initiative aims to provide an additional 25,000 surgeries each year,” Ms. Wilson stated. “For those who are stuck on the elective surgery waitlist, postponing their lives, they are in need of a government that prioritizes their healthcare requirements.”
This policy draws inspiration from a similar initiative by the Queensland government, which reportedly led to a slight decrease in surgery wait times, according to analysis by ABC.
Ms. Wilson indicated that the $1.27 billion program would be fully financed by liquidating the government investment fund Breakthrough Victoria.
“Victorians deserve a government focused on delivering essential health services rather than engaging in venture capitalism,” she added.
Breakthrough Victoria, which is currently valued at $600 million, experienced losses of $5.7 million in the 2025 financial year and $3 million in 2024.
The fund had already been consolidated with the startup agency LaunchVic earlier this year.
The private hospital sector has expressed support for the initiative, with plans to sign four-year contracts to treat public patients utilizing their available capacity.
Brett Heffernan, CEO of the Australian Private Hospitals Association, highlighted that both official and unofficial surgical waiting times are becoming increasingly problematic.
“We are dealing with tens of thousands of patients facing longer wait times,” he remarked. “Additionally, there is an unofficial list comprising many more individuals waiting for specialist consultations to get onto the official waiting list.”
Mr. Heffernan labeled the proposed program a “win-win” situation for patients, noting that the use of private hospitals has successfully reduced wait times in Queensland.
“In about 18 months, they managed to see around 8,000 individuals come off their waiting lists. While that may not seem significant, it is impactful because as people leave the waiting lists, new patients can be added,” he explained.
The Carroll government defended its record on surgeries, stating that Victorian public hospitals had achieved a historic milestone of performing 218,000 planned surgeries over the past year.
The government also pointed out that 100% of the most urgent patients, referred to as category 1, received treatment within a 30-day timeframe.
Furthermore, the government previously announced a $50.1 million investment aimed at facilitating an additional 4,000 planned surgeries for children in the 2026/27 budget.
In terms of land tax, the Carroll government has vowed to reverse its recent changes if re-elected, eliminating the adjustments made to the threshold in 2023.
These changes reduced the threshold for land tax from a site value of $300,000 to $50,000, thereby subjecting an additional 250,000 Victorians to the tax.
The government plans to implement these proposed changes gradually over several years, with an annual increase of $25,000 in the threshold.
The anticipated cost of these changes is $230 million over five years, which the government asserts will be funded by consolidating its car fleet and postponing level crossing removals.
“Lowering land tax will provide more relief for the cost of living, and we have a responsible plan to finance it,” said Premier Ben Carroll. “As a new premier, this represents my new direction.”
This announcement aligns with the policies of the Coalition and One Nation, both of which have also committed to reversing the land tax changes made in 2023.
