COUNTRY HEALTH CARE PLAN

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Leader of the Opposition) (14:26): Will the Minister for Water Security now withdraw her support for the Rann government's Country Health Care Plan? Does she still have confidence in her Labor government and the health minister?

The minister participated in the Labor cabinet decision to implement cuts to country health in the Country Health Care Plan. When the opposition moved a no-confidence motion in the Minister for Health regarding the Country Health Care Plan, the member for Chaffey voted with the government in support of the plan, yet on Wednesday 16 July 2008 the member for Chaffey is pictured in TheLoxton News in her electorate accepting a petition from her constituents. In the article, she is quoted as saying, 'I know your message, and I support it 100 per cent.'

Earlier this week, the member for Chaffey tabled the petition, containing 2,822 names, requesting the house to urge the government to withdraw the Country Health Care Plan. Where does she stand?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (14:27): It is probably unparliamentary for the Leader of the Opposition to reflect on the motivation of the Leader of the National Party, a member of cabinet, in tabling a petition put to her by her constituents. She has a duty—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: —both to the house and to her constituents, to do this. She does not have to agree with the contents of that petition.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the member for MacKillop!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: I find it strange that the Leader of the Opposition—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: —asks this question when his colleague one row behind him presented a petition today calling for some environmental action to happen in his electorate in relation to a development proposal. I might be wrong, but I am certain that he did not agree with the contents of that petition, either, but he did his duty by his constituents in tabling that petition in this house.

Can I say about the Country Health Care Plan, which the government has put out for consultation, that we have received quite a few submissions. I am very pleased that we have received those, and we are reading them carefully. We are taking into account the views that are expressed by people in country South Australia, and I would be the first to acknowledge that the plan has caused concern amongst people in country South Australia. I think that is a fair thing to say. However, that concern has been exploited by those opposite for political advantage.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. HILL: Don't pretend. You have exploited it for political advantage and you have made statements about it which are untrue. You have scared people in country South Australia by telling untruths about what the plan says. I am pleased that not everybody in country South Australia opposes the plan. I was absolutely delighted to read in the media on the weekend that the Mount Gambier council voted to support the South Australian Country Health Care Plan.

I think the Mayor of the Mount Gambier council is the endorsed Liberal candidate for the other side for that seat. So, the local Liberals in Mount Gambier endorsed this plan. In fact, only one person in the Mount Gambier council opposed the plan. His name was Councillor Tony Pason. The article starts by saying that the council supports it, then about half—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. HILL: Yes, I have. I am pleased that the member mentioned the Riverland, because I have before me a letter not in The Loxton News, but in the Murray Pioneer from—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. HILL: Oh, so one newspaper in the Riverland is to be preferred over another. The letter in the Murray Pioneer is from the general surgeon who practises at Berri, Arnold Seglenieks, whom I hope to meet tomorrow when I visit the Riverland. His letter is in support of the Country Health Care Plan as well as the Riverland, so there is quite a bit of support around. I recognise that there is concern—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: I recognise that there is some concern about it, and I recognise that that concern has been manipulated for political purposes by the opposition. I am going out and talking to people in country South Australia. I will spend all day tomorrow talking to people in the Riverland. I know from my experience in talking to people in Yorke Peninsula and Eyre Peninsula that, when I get a chance to talk to them and tell them what we are actually planning, many of their concerns disappear.