Health Review

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:10): My question is also to the Minister for Health. How much of the $6.4 million has been spent on paid advertising and promotional materials?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:10): Likewise, I'm happy to get a report back to the house but let me just make one thing clear: we will spare no expense when making sure that South Australians are properly informed about Transforming Health and what it is trying to achieve to combat the lies that are being put out by certain sections of the community about what is proposed.

We have had senior Liberal figures, such as Christopher Pyne, saying blatantly falsely that the Modbury Hospital is slated for closure; something that is completely untrue. So we will spare no expense making sure that South Australians are properly informed about these things. Quite frankly, to spread that sort of misinformation is not only an act of bastardry but it is also dangerous—frankly dangerous—to tell communities that a hospital that is not slated for closure is slated for closure, because people will not know that it is there when they need it.

I make no apologies for making sure that South Australians are properly informed about what these proposals are and what the government is attempting to achieve by them so that they know what the services are that are going to be in their local community. To be quite frank, we have to do this because there are certain people without any principles, without any pretence when it comes to telling the truth, who will make up anything to score a few cheap political points.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I call to order the members for Adelaide, Unley and Hammond.