Progress on regional vision

BEING SOMETHING AND DOING SOMETHING... Candidate for Nicholls, Sam Birrell, lists reasons he is running with the Nationals in the upcoming Federal Election following a funding promise for a new Clinical Health School in Shepparton. Photo: Supplied.

Written by Sam Birrell,
Nationals candidate for Nicholls

AS I stood with the Deputy Prime Minister and Regionalisation Minister on a chilly morning for the announcement of $19.5M for a Clinical Health School to be built in Shepparton, three things are on my mind:

The first is why I am doing this – running for parliament? It is all about doing something. It is not about me, though it feels like that now with the posters and advertisements. Politics divides into two motivations – being something and doing something. I want to do, not just talk, and this funding announcement is an example of that.

The second is that great projects are real partnerships between government and community. This Clinical Health School idea was developed between Goulburn Valley Health, who need more allied health staff, and La Trobe University, who want to train more allied health staff. It was advocated for by the Committee for Greater Shepparton and the Council.

The thing I like about the Nationals is that central control in Canberra doesn’t dream up what might be good for regional communities and then send it out, we partner with the expertise on the ground.

The third reason is that although there have been distinguished people here – The vice-chancellor of the University, the CEO of GV Health and the senior politicians, it is not about them. It is about the people who train in this facility and who go on to have a rewarding career looking after people.

It is also about the people who receive this care, whether in an emergency department, aged care facility or hospital ward.

BEING SOMETHING AND DOING SOMETHING… Candidate for Nicholls, Sam Birrell, lists reasons he is running with the Nationals in the upcoming Federal Election following a funding promise for a new Clinical Health School in Shepparton. Photo: Supplied.