Repatriation General Hospital

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:19): Can the minister perhaps explain to the parliament why he has made the decision to ignore the views of 119,000 South Australians, the veterans' community and, most importantly, the people of the southern suburbs, who are now going to be without vital healthcare facilities in their region?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:19): Mr Speaker, we all know that there are members of the opposition who have expressed to members on this side the view, 'Thank goodness that you're making the decisions because it means we won't have to.' That is what the opposition say behind closed doors, what they say privately and in such a cowardly way that does not reflect their public pronouncements.

The simple fact is that we have been through the arguments 100 times before about the reasons why the government has made this decision. Anyone can look at the public record about why the government has taken the decision it has. It is a decision we stand by and it is not one from which we will be shifting; and I know that it is one that privately members opposite applaud because they are happy that it is not a decision they will have to make, and they are quite happy to exploit for base political purposes a decision, a difficult decision, that this government is prepared to make. We are prepared to make the tough reform decisions, and if the leaking of the minutes of the Liberal Party room demonstrate anything it is that they have no guts.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Point of order, Mr Speaker: 127 and 98.

The SPEAKER: Yes, I uphold the point of order. Point of order from the member for MacKillop.

Mr WILLIAMS: No, sir. I seek leave to make a personal explanation.

The SPEAKER: Well, I am not granting you leave. Leader.