Repatriation General Hospital

Mr DULUK (Davenport) (14:51): My question is also to the Minister for Health. Can the minister explain why South Australians need to spend $170 million on a new rehabilitation centre at Flinders Medical Centre when, at the same time, the government is shutting down the Repat, a centrally located centre that works well and has overwhelming public support to remain open?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:52): Mr Speaker, I have been asked this question a hundred times before, and the answer has not changed. There are important reasons why we need to integrate rehabilitation with our major hospitals. One of the issues we have in this state—when we talk about South Australia having longer lengths of stay than other states, one of the prime causes of that is that we do not have good integration of our rehabilitation services with our hospitals.

For people who have had a trauma or a stroke, or needed a procedure such a hip replacement, their rehabilitation just does not happen soon enough, because generally, rehabilitation happens at a different site to where those patients are. So, the patient effectively has to, for all intents and purposes, recover, and then their rehabilitation begins. That means their rehabilitation takes much longer than it otherwise would.

What we need to do—and the main thinking about having rehabilitation integrated with the Flinders Medical Centre—is enable people, whether they have an injury, a stroke, or a procedure such as a hip operation, for their rehabilitation to begin far earlier. In fact, best practice would suggest that generally rehabilitation should start the day after an operation like a hip operation. Too often in this state that does not happen. The other reason, of course, is simply one of infrastructure. For—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: The opposition might be content with people being treated in facilities that are old and, for all intents and purposes, no longer fit for purpose—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Although, we know, secretly—they do not even make a secret of it: what they say to other people is they agree with what the government is doing.

Members interjecting:

Mr GARDNER: Point of order, sir: despite the minister's relaxed tone, the content is clearly debate.

The SPEAKER: I will listen carefully to what the minister has to say; I do not think he is imputing improper motives to any individual.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Very precious, aren't they? Very precious on this particular issue.

Mr Wingard interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Mitchell is called to order.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: For all of these reasons, it make sense for us to invest in a brand-new rehabilitation facility, purpose-built rehabilitation facility, at the Flinders Medical Centre. Of course the great work that ACH do—

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley is warned for the second and final time.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: —with their facility at the Repat will continue, and of course the government has made it quite clear that, with regard to the future of the Repat site, our intention is to find a partner who can continue to deliver health and aged-care type services, and who can happily continue to provide such services.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Given that the Leader of the Opposition is interjecting, I am more than happy to quote what the Leader of the Opposition says behind closed doors, and I quote:

Our working theme is one of transforming the Repat, rather than saving it in its exact orientation. We believe that there is an opportunity to transform the Repat, not just from a Veteran's perspective, but for a range of other groups that would benefit from the site being transformed, particularly for aged care needs.

Exactly the government's position, shared by the Leader of the Opposition. The Leader of the Opposition speaks with an absolute forked tongue on this issue.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Treasurer is warned for the second and final time.

Dr McFETRIDGE: Can the Minister for Health table that document?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: I was just about to do so.

The SPEAKER: The member for Napier.

Members interjecting:

Mr GEE: Are you ready for it?

Mr Pengilly interjecting:

Mr GEE: I thought you'd already had enough.

The SPEAKER: The member for Finniss is on two warnings.