Health Review

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:06): Thank you, sir. I presume that a stroke is a life-threatening condition, and I ask the minister to outline to the house what are the symptoms of a stroke?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:07): I'm not a clinician but the paramedics—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Florey is called to order for offering to answer the question.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: The paramedics who work in our ambulance service are more than capable of diagnosing a stroke. I know you don't have any confidence in our ambulance officers, in our paramedics—I do. You're still stuck in a health system of 50 years ago. The simple fact is that paramedics can quite easily diagnose a stroke. They quite easily know when a stroke is happening and to take that person to the relevant hospital, and to suggest otherwise just shows what a fool you are.

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Health should not say that I am stuck in the medical norms of 1965 or say that I am a fool.

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

The SPEAKER: The leader.