Repatriation General Hospital

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:37): Supplementary, Mr Speaker: aside from the minister's hopes that there might be some reserve services kept at the Repat Hospital site, do you support its closure and will you vote against it, if the ultimate decision is to sell that site?

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Minister for Investment and Trade, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (14:37): First, I am not the Minister for Health but I will contain my response to the issue of the Repat. I will simply say this: I will vote for whatever is best for veterans' health. I have been convinced that the health reform plans put forward by the minister, through cabinet, are in the best interests of veterans' health: and the fact is that they are. Do you know what the government is interested in? We are actually interested in the health of veterans and the health of the aged. We are not interested in playing politics.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: Quite seriously, I think that the way the opposition has handled this indicates they are more interested in the health of the Liberal Party than they are in veterans' health.

The SPEAKER: The minister is now debating the question.