House of Assembly Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2) 51 2 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Question Time Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Hospital MARJORIE JACKSON-NELSON HOSPITAL Mr HAMILTON-SMITH House of Assembly Waite Leader of the Opposition MARJORIE JACKSON-NELSON HOSPITAL Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Leader of the Opposition) (14:16): My question is to the Premier. Will he promise the people of South Australia that, at the March 2010 election, his government will put to them the question of whether a $1.9 billion hospital should be built at City West; and will he guarantee the taxpayers of this state that his government will not sign any financial agreement or deal with the private sector to commence work on building at the site until the people have had their right to vote on his proposal? The government plans for a private sector consortium to build, own and operate the hospital at an unknown financing cost well in excess of the build price for which South Australians will be paying until 2046. The opposition proposes a new hospital at the existing Royal Adelaide Hospital site. Earlier today at a press conference the Premier said he wanted his proposal to be tested as an election issue. Do it! Members interjecting: The Hon. M.D. RANN House of Assembly Ramsay Premier Minister for Economic Development Minister for Social Inclusion Minister for the Arts Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (14:18): Absolutely. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier. The Hon. M.D. RANN House of Assembly The Hon. M.D. RANN: The Leader of the Opposition has this constant phoney anger. It is about as fake as his costings on his policies. But let me point this out. We were elected to govern. The centrepiece of our election commitments was rebuilding the hospital system that you tore down when you were in office. That is the difference: we will build hospitals and you will privatise them. So people will have a clear choice at the next election. If you want a billion dollar stadium, vote for them; if you want a brand new hospital and a desalination plant, vote Labor. We were elected to govern, and we were elected to rebuild our health system that you ran down. As a result, there are now nearly 2,500 extra nurses and about 700 extra doctors in the system. That is the difference. What was your plan for the health system? Americanise it, privatise it. Those days are over. We were elected to govern with an overwhelming majority, and we will govern. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Reynell.