Save the QEH Forum

Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (14:27): My question is to the Minister for Health. Will the minister assure the house that the digital recording of a SA Health employee's involvement at the Save the QEH forum last night by a member of the ministerial office will not be used in any action against the employee?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:27): I am glad that the member for Morphett should raise the forum last night, because I was invited, I understand, and I think the Premier was as well, to go along to that forum. We were not able to attend, but I asked Professor Dorothy Keefe to attend, to provide information to the forum about what was proposed for The Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

I have to say the treatment of Professor Dorothy Keefe at the hands of Kirsten Alexander was nothing but disgraceful—absolutely disgraceful. For someone of Dorothy Keefe's eminence to be heckled by a ridiculous character like Kirsten Alexander just defies belief—absolutely defies belief. Dorothy Keefe does more in her morning to save the lives of South Australians with cancer than—

The SPEAKER: Point of order.

Mr GARDNER: The question was in fact in relation to the actions of a member of the minister's staff.

The SPEAKER: I do not uphold the point of order. Minister.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Professor Dorothy Keefe would do more in her morning for the lives of South Australians than Kirsten Alexander would do in a lifetime, and to be heckled down, to be screamed down, by someone like that is just absolutely appalling. I do not know about my staff recording or otherwise what happened out there but, I tell you what, I would be very, very interested to see it if they have, because I would be very interested for the South Australian public to see the behaviour of Kirsten Alexander and the disrespect that was shown to someone of the eminence of Dorothy Keefe. It is absolutely disgraceful, and if the opposition want to side with Kirsten Alexander as part of this they are more than welcome to.