ROYAL ADELAIDE HOSPITAL

Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (15:10): Will the government now change its policy on rebuilding the Royal Adelaide Hospital at its current site?

The SPEAKER: Order! I missed the question entirely.

Dr McFETRIDGE: My question is to the Premier, and he is probably expecting it.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I cannot hear the member for Morphett's question, with members on my right interjecting.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Will the Premier now reverse his decision on the Royal Adelaide Hospital and rebuild it at its current site?

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) (15:11): Can I just say this: what a difference a Labor government makes! If members opposite want to know about hospitals, let me give them the figures on hospitals: 3,600 extra nurses, nearly 1,100 extra doctors, a national report that says per capita more doctors than the other states and more nurses—

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier will take his seat.

Mr PENGILLY: On a point of order, sir: the question was quite specific, and I believe the Premier is debating the issue again.

The SPEAKER: No, I do not uphold the point of order.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: I want to pay tribute to the honourable member. I was recently at a function where he spoke in Pitjantjatjara, and as a former minister for Aboriginal affairs I thought he did so with aplomb. At first I thought he was speaking in Yankunytjatjara, but then I realised he was speaking in Pitjantjatjara. I think it is fantastic that he honoured the occasion by speaking that way. I hope one day we will get a question in parliament from him in Pitjantjatjara, and I will do my best to respond.

The key point is that we believe that, whilst we have committed to and in fact went down to open the new maternity and gynaecology wing, the three storey South Wing at the Flinders Medical Centre just on Monday, the virtual doubling of beds at the Lyell McEwin and the rebuild at the QEH, the key difference between us and the Liberals is that the Liberals wanted to privatise our hospitals, while we believe South Australians deserve a world class hospital—and they will get one.