HEALTH SYSTEM

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:08): My question again is to the Minister for Health. Will the minister be closing the Acute Referral Unit (that is, the emergency department) at the Repatriation General Hospital, as recommended in the Paxton report; and, if so, how will it absorb the 5,600-odd attendances at the emergency department each year? How will those be absorbed at the Flinders Medical Centre, or anywhere else?

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (15:08): Mr Speaker, this is truly an extraordinary question, because I predicted after the first question that what they would do was attack the government for running a shambles of a system, being an inefficient system; and I predicted that, before too long (expecting some time next week), that they would be out there defending every single bit of territory that the report is suggesting would change. But, no, I did not have to wait that long. We only got 45 minutes into question time. But that is all right: defend the system which Paxton, you have already agreed, shows is not working properly. You defend all the incidental bits.

What I have said in the media, what I said in the house yesterday and what I say today is that all those recommendations will be worked through at the grassroots level with the hospital staff to get a good, positive outcome. As I said today in the media, this report is equivalent to a case to answer. Those who wish to argue that something should not change now have to prove why it should not. This is a case to answer. The recommendations are tough; they will make our system work more efficiently, and we are working through them with all the hospitals. The opposition has to make sure it knows what its position is in relation to this support. Does this show that the system is not working efficiently and that we should be condemned; or, are they going to attack the report because of its individual recommendations which will make changes, which some people will not like? I absolutely predict that some people will not like these things because they are tough, they are difficult and they will obviously impose a little bit of pain.