Of all the roles I’ve had during my time in public office, the one I am most proud of is Member for Bendigo East. Thank you.

I was 25 years old when this photo was taken. I had just been elected as the first Labor member for Bendigo East - and the first woman to represent Bendigo in any Australian Parliament. I was young. I was nervous. But I knew exactly why I was there. In my first speech to Parliament, I said I wanted to be a representative who cared about people and listened to them. I spoke about Mum and Dad. About being the daughter of workers. About the Labor values they gave me. And about the place that made me. Bendigo. I finished that speech with a promise: “I intend to make a difference.” Today, almost 27 years later, I have announced that I will not recontest the seat of Bendigo East at November’s election. But I look around the place I have called home my entire life and know that, together, we did make a difference. A world-class Bendigo Hospital, where families can get the care they need without having to travel to Melbourne. Every public school in Bendigo East upgraded. New train stations at Goornong, Huntly and Raywood. A new Tech School. A better Bendigo TAFE. A new GovHub, Law Courts, the Ulumburra Theatre. Better sporting facilities. More opportunities for young people to learn, work and build a life here. And thousands more good, secure jobs for local families. There are no words big enough to describe what this community means to me. Because Bendigo isn’t just the place I have represented. It’s where I learnt who I was fighting for. Where Mum and Dad taught me that hard work matters. That you stand up for people who need you. And that good government should make life better for people. That a decent job can change a family’s life. That strong public schools and hospitals matter. That working people deserve dignity and respect. And that no country community should ever be treated as second best. Those were my values when I was elected to Parliament at 25. They are my values today. Politics has changed a lot since this photo was taken. So have I. I became a wife. A mum. A Minister. A Deputy Premier. And Premier of the greatest state in the country. I have had Yorick, Peggy and Cormac by my side. My greatest supporters and my greatest joy. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. There were extraordinary days. There were bloody hard ones too. But through all of it, I never forgot who sent me there - or why. And when I leave Parliament, I’ll leave the same way I arrived. A daughter of Bendigo. A daughter of workers. A proud Labor woman. Still believing in equality. Still believing in public education and public health. Still believing in the dignity of work. Still believing government can - and must - make people’s lives better. And still believing politics, at its best, is very simple: Care about people. Listen to people. Speak up for people. Make a difference. Twenty-seven years ago, I promised I would. And I am proud that I have. Thank you, Bendigo. You gave me the honour of my life.

I will always treasure these wonderful photos of some of the everyday Victorians I met when I was Premier. Listening to them and hearing their stories was the absolute highlight of my time in office. This will be my last post here for a bit. First I’ll be spending some time with my family. Then I’ll be working my hardest to ensure Ben Carroll is re-elected Premier of our great state. Thank you, Labor. Thank you, Victoria.

If I want to be remembered for one thing, it's this: I led a government that listened to girls about their health.

At the end of the day, I am – and always will be – a team player.

We're making health care easier and cheaper to access with Chemist Care Now.

We're making it easier for you to get the healthcare you need when you need it. You'll soon be able to get treatment for mild dermatitis and acne such as topical retinol and tretinoin at the chemist, without a trip to the GP.

Seeing the smile on Patricia’s face and hearing how much her new home means to her was so lovely. Every Victorian deserves a place to call home - that’s why we’re building more social homes right across the state including here in Bendigo.

Labor will always invest in health - we’ve hired 17,000 nurses and midwives and built 12 new hospitals. And now we’re making our health system even stronger - with better nurse-to-patient ratios and more full-time nursing positions.

The best way to tackle crime is to stop it before it starts. It’s why we established the Violence Reduction Unit - intervening early to keep young people out of the justice system. But if someone chooses violent crime, they’ll face Adult Time for Violent Crime - making jail more likely and sentences longer. Because prevention matters. And so do consequences.

We're cracking down on dodgy used car dealers, with tougher laws to stop odometer tampering and protect Victorians from online used car rip-offs.

3.5 million Victorians have already claimed 20% off their car rego. It's just another way we're putting more money back into the pockets of Victorians.