House of Assembly Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2) 51 2 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Country Health SA COUNTRY HEALTH SA Mr GOLDSWORTHY House of Assembly Kavel COUNTRY HEALTH SA Mr GOLDSWORTHY (Kavel) (14:57): Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. The Hon. K.O. Foley interjecting: Mr GOLDSWORTHY House of Assembly Mr GOLDSWORTHY: Kevin, I don't know, you have got all mean and nasty lately, mate. You used to be a good bloke, but recently you have got mean and nasty. I don't know what's happened. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! Mr GOLDSWORTHY House of Assembly Mr GOLDSWORTHY: My question is to the Minister for Health. When will the staff of each of the country hospitals be advised whether or not they have a job after 30 June this year? The government still has not published its country health plan, and under the Health Care Act 2008, the health department CEO Dr Sherbon will become the employing authority. The Hon. J.D. HILL House of Assembly Kaurna Minister for Health Minister for the Southern Suburbs Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (14:58): Of course, the changes to the Health Care Act, which will come into place from the middle of this year have been long awaited on this side of the house. It is not with any help of the other side that we have got those changes in place, but it will mean that, for the first time, all the country hospitals will be brought together as one organisation, Country Health SA. Of course, Dr Sherbon has been the employing authority for some time, as my colleague here introduced changes to the laws some time ago in relation to employment. Dr Sherbon has delegated that authority to the individual boards in this period, and then from 1 July he will exercise that authority directly, although I assume that, once again, he will delegate it to Country Health SA. There is no suggestion that anyone who is employed by any of the individual hospitals will lose their jobs. If they are permanently employed, they will maintain that level of employment. If they are on contracts, of course those contracts, part-time employees and so on, will be subject to whatever the demands are from time to time.