New Health Minister announced

Premier John Brumby today announced that Bronwyn Pike would be moving from the health portfolio to become the new Education Minister. The new Health Minister is Daniel Andrews, who had previously served as Parliamentary Secretary in the Health portfolio, and so knows many of the issues and understands the system.

Minister Pike leaves responsibility for dental health with the best wishes of the dental profession, having been responsibile for the largest ever injection of public funds into the area of any Minister or Government.

Access to care issues will continue to require attention by the new Minister, especially in rural areas, where a maldistribution of the dental workforce is the key problem leading to longer waiting times.