Health Review

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:38): Given the minister's answer, will the minister now apologise to the staff of the Noarlunga emergency department, as requested by the senior doctor group, for the professional and personal offence that the minister caused by stating that their patients were more likely to die?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:38): If anyone should be offering an apology to the people in the Noarlunga emergency department it is the opposition. Let's not forget that last year the opposition dragged into this place in the most despicable way possible the case of an elderly lady who had died—

Mr PISONI: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley: what is the point of order?

Mr PISONI: The minister is not responsible for the opposition and yet that is what he is speaking about.

The SPEAKER: Yes, the minister is, indeed, not responsible for the opposition.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Sir, perhaps others—who I shall not name—who dragged into this place the case of an elderly lady who had died, not through any lack of care, not through any inability of the hospital to effectively look after her, a certain person (who shall not be named) dragged that case in and suggested that this person had died because that person had not been able to be given the appropriate care. That caused enormous distress to that elderly lady's family, and if anyone should be apologising, it should be the Leader of the Opposition.

An honourable member interjecting:

Mr MARSHALL: My question, sir—

The SPEAKER: Order! The interjection was, 'That person has apologised.' I think that Hon. Stephen Wade has; I'm not sure that Mr Sandy Biar has. The leader.