The Victorian opposition has pledged to offer free public transport for nurses, aged care workers and allied healthcare workers for four years, if it wins the November election.
Shadow Health Minister Georgie Crozier, a former nurse, said the plan was designed to recognise the difficulties of the past few years of the pandemic.
"It's really to recognise all of those who have worked in our healthcare system, both public and private, over the last two-and-a-half years, who have done it so hard and so tough," she said.
Ms Crozier said the policy would be extended to nurses, allied healthcare workers, clerical staff, patient transport orderlies, dental assistants, midwives, aged care workers, paramedics and aged care workers.
"That will be assisting with their cost-of-living pressures," she said.
"We know this is becoming a very big issue, cost of living. And this is one way that we can ease that burden."
The opposition said the more than 260,000 healthcare workers covered by the policy could end up $1,800 a year better off.
That upper-end estimate was based on someone who was using public transport daily across zones one and two in Melbourne, the opposition said.
Based on those figures, the policy could cost up to roughly $468 million a year.
But Ms Crozier noted not everybody who was eligible would take up the opportunity and an opposition spokesperson said the policy was expected to cost around $110 million over four years.
Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said the policy would be easy to administer, with eligible workers offered a specific public transport card for free travel.
He said there would be further health policy announcements from the opposition in the months ahead.
The opposition's announcement comes after a fortnight of turmoil for the Coalition, with several staff leaving Mr Guy's office after details of a proposed arrangement between a Liberal donor and his former chief of staff came to light.
Nurses' union not convinced policy is practical for hospital workers
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Victorian secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said while the opposition's policy may be useful for inner-city workers, it was less helpful for those in parts of the state with unreliable public transport.
"For example, if you work at Monash [Health] in Clayton, which is the biggest employer across the state, the idea that you are going to wait 45 minutes after the end of your shift on the side of the road for a bus to take you home … I don't think that's what we want happening," she said.
"Essentially, the hours that nurses and midwives start and finish work makes it very difficult for public transport as an option for them.
"What we do need is we need free or affordable car parking and access because that is much safer for nurses and midwives and other healthcare workers to get to and from work."
Ms Fitzpatrick said it would be more helpful to nurses if the Opposition Leader publicly encouraged the Victorian community to wear masks, in order to curb COVID-19 infections and pressure on the hospital system.
"That would be much better than a free bus ride which I don't think is going to eventuate," she said.
Earlier this year, the Victorian government announced a $3,000 "winter retention and surge payment" to try and support and retain public sector healthcare workers as the state battles its deadliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic so far.
Ms Fitzpatrick said that payment, which the government said could begin to reach workers from Monday, was welcome, but its usefulness in retaining workers was yet to be proven.
"Healthcare workers have a commitment around their roles about trying to make a difference, they're not generally speaking motivated by money," she said.
"What people are most interested in seeing is being able to access some days off, being able to access some personal leave and annual leave.
"And importantly, making sure that when you do go to work that there are enough nurses and midwives and other healthcare workers working alongside you to deliver the quality care that you actually want to deliver."
