House of Assembly Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1) 53 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Emergency Departments Emergency Departments Mr MARSHALL House of Assembly Dunstan Leader of the Opposition Emergency Departments Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:16): Yes, I have plenty of questions, sir. I wonder whether the government has any answers. Will the minister immediately convene crisis talks with health management, medical specialists, unions and medical associations to prevent further escalation of the overcrowding crisis in our emergency departments here in South Australia? The Hon. J.J. SNELLING House of Assembly Playford Minister for Health Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Minister for the Arts Minister for Health Industries Emergency Departments The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:17): I met with emergency department doctors several weeks ago, long before the opposition woke up to the fact that our emergency departments were busy. Several weeks ago I had— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Look, if the minister will provoke the opposition by making them the centrepiece of his reply, he shouldn't expect me to silence them. The Hon. J.J. SNELLING House of Assembly The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Several weeks ago I had meetings with emergency department doctors. We talked about strategies to take the pressure off our emergency departments. I constantly meet both with our people who run our hospitals and with emergency department doctors; that is part of normal business for a health minister.