ST JOHN AMBULANCE

Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (15:12): My question is to the Minister for Health. Why did the minister not first consult with St John Ambulance before he announced cuts to their funding, and will he now immediately meet with the St John chief executive, Sharyn Mitten? The government has cut funding by $100,000 to St John Ambulance. At the St John Ambulance awards day ceremony at Government House last Saturday, the public benefit from St John was revealed to be $7 million per year.

The SPEAKER: I think the minister has already answered this. However, it is up to the minister.

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Ageing, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts) (15:13): I thought it was curious that the member for Unley and now the member for Morphett both asked me questions about health and the shadow minister for health did not, but now I understand why. He is not stupid.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: I thought I made it plain in an answer from my own side that we had reflected on the arrangements with a number of the organisations and that I had met with the chair of the board of St John's, Commissioner Greig, last week and spent an hour talking through the issues. I got a better understanding of the issues from his point of view and I think he got a better understanding of the issues from the Health point of view. Health had been talking with St John's over a period of months about the funding arrangements for the next year, and the contracts had not been—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: The contracts had not been finalised. They asked to speak to me. I agreed to meet with them and I did.