Victoria's non-government schools are being wooed by Labor, while the state's health system faces renewed pre-election scrutiny.
Premier Daniel Andrews has promised $717 million for low-fee Catholic and independent schools if his government secures a third term next month.
"A third of families send their kids to low-fee Catholic schools and other independent schools," he told reporters at Sunbury's Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School on Tuesday.
"Choice has always been a really important part of our education system."
The funds package includes $450m to build and upgrade Catholic and independent schools across the state.
At least 70 per cent of the money will be funnelled into Catholic schools, in line with their share of students.
If re-elected, the Andrews government plans to work with both sectors to identify projects but an initial list of five new schools and 13 upgrades has been compiled by Victoria's Catholic education commission.
Under the arrangement, the commission would match 20 per cent of the state's funding for projects.
Another $250m would go to 60 new and upgraded kindergartens at adjoining non-government schools, along with $17m to expand the state's free school dental van program.
It comes hot on the heels of Labor committing almost $1.6 billion to build and upgrade government schools and kindergartens if returned on November 26.
On October 4, the Liberals and Nationals announced $175m per year over four years to the non-government schools to keep pace with growing infrastructure demands.
Meanwhile, Labor has been accused of an intentional omission in a flyer promoting the party's $1.05b promise to rebuild Maroondah Hospital in Melbourne's east.
Bayswater MP Jackson Taylor's leaflet details the plan but neglects to mention its controversial proposed re-brand to Queen Elizabeth II Hospital, shedding the suburb's Aboriginal-linked name.
Mr Andrews couldn't explain the omission but is still wedded to the name change, despite a petition opposing it attracting more than 50,000 signatures.
"A new hospital needs a new name. You'll find lots of (election) material that does mention it," he said.
A month out from election day, health remains a key focus.
Labor was on the defensive over ambulance response times after 64 per cent of code one call-outs were attended within the service's 15-minute target from April to June.
That compares to 73 per cent in December 2014, just after the government came to power on the promise to improve response times.
"The data that is referenced today is from August and that was the busiest period in Ambulance Victoria's history," Mr Andrews said.
"That's directly linked to the fact we had many more COVID cases than we have now, we had many people in hospital with COVID, plus all the usual pressure that comes from winter."
Victorians were sick of the spin, excuses and blame-shifting, opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier said.
"Eight years ago, Daniel Andrews promised Victorians he would fix ambulance response times yet today they are worse than ever," she said.
