Emergency Departments

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:14): Supplementary, sir: does the minister agree with the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine's statement regarding the emergency department overcrowding that 'the major underlying issues are not seasonal'?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:14): Certainly they are not exclusively seasonal, but I don't think anyone could deny, and I don't think the college would deny, the fact that we have had a surge, with an enormous number of presentations over the last six weeks. You can't stick your head in the sand and deny that. The simple fact is that in the last six weeks there has been a surge in presentations, largely driven by the record number of flu cases which we are experiencing at the moment, as I just said—close to 8,000—which is a significant increase on where we were at this time last year.

Of course, it is not just seasonal. We need a new emergency department; that is why we are building a new emergency department. I don't know what Basil Fawlty over here would have us do. Turn people away from the ED?

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Health will withdraw and apologise for referring to the member for Norwood as Mr Basil Fawlty.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Must I? Well, sir, certainly if the Leader of the Opposition takes offence at Basil Fawlty I certainly withdraw, but I must say the Liberal Party in this state does resemble Fawlty Towers.

Mr PISONI: Point of order, sir, under 137. Clearly, the minister is refusing to accept the authority of the Chair. You have asked him to apologise and withdraw and he has refused to do that, sir. You have given him the opportunity to do it—

The SPEAKER: He just did it.

Mr PISONI: —and he has refused.

The SPEAKER: As far as I can see, he has just done it—and neither will you refer to him as a 'brilliantined stick insect'.

Mr GARDNER: Point of order, sir, on 137 again. Can I confirm that when you ask members of the opposition to withdraw and apologise, members of the opposition will not be censured for doing so in the same way the minister just did?

The SPEAKER: Has the minister withdrawn?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: I have, sir.

The SPEAKER: Good. Does anyone have a question?