Royal Adelaide Hospital

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:21): Supplementary, sir: can the minister perhaps explain to the house—

Dr McFetridge interjecting:

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

Mr MARSHALL: —which figure he disagrees with: the original budget or the promise by the government of $1.7 billion, or the current projected construction and transition cost of $2.3 billion?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:21): Since the government chose through the tender process on this, the cost has always been $2.1 billion to build this new hospital. That, of course, includes approximately $300 million, or $250 million I think it is, in state works, but $2.1 billion.

I announced last week that we had reached a settlement with SAHP with regard to remediation issues and some other issues that had been outstanding between the two, and we had settled that for a cost of $30 million. The total extra $30 million is what we have settled it for and $34 million is what the extra call is on the budget for this settlement as part of the all-encompassing settlement, which means we have a new—

Ms Sanderson interjecting:

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

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: —date for the commercial acceptance of the hospital of early July, and we expect to have the hospital open and fully operational in November.

I am more than happy to be talking about our new hospital every single day. I am more than happy to be talking about our new hospital, and what we see today is an opposition and an opposition leader who is still fighting the battles of the 2010 election when the member for Heysen was leader.

Members interjecting:

Mr PISONI: I think you have anticipated it, but debate.

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley's point of order is that it is debate?

Mr PISONI: The minister has entered debate, sir.

The SPEAKER: I uphold the point of order. I warn the member for Adelaide for the first time and I call the member for Hartley to order.