Motions

Modbury Hospital

Ayes 13

Noes 18

Majority 5

Adjournment thus negatived.

Mr GARDNER (Morialta) (12:38): I am very pleased to support this motion. It is unfortunate that some other members who would like to speak at another time will not necessarily have the opportunity to do that due to pairing arrangements. Nevertheless, on their behalf, I will just put a few final comments on the record before we bring this to a vote this afternoon. I am very pleased that as the Liberal Party and the Liberal opposition we will have the opportunity to support the motion:

That this house condemns the government's decision to cut services at the Modbury Hospital and, in particular, to downgrade the emergency departments and cut vital cardiac services which provide lifesaving treatment to hundreds of residents in Adelaide's north-east to—

(a) ensure patients do not have to travel 14 kilometres away to the Lyell McEwin Hospital for important medical care;

(b) ensure residents are not faced with long wait times; and

(c) ensure emergency surgery remains available to residents in their local area.

As the member for Morialta, I stand as one who has had polling booths in my electorate where residents were told that they had to vote Labor, in fact, to ensure that the services at Modbury Hospital would not be downgraded.

The fact is that the Labor government is the one that is doing this work, that is doing this downgrade, that is reducing services to the people of the north-eastern suburbs—people in my electorate and the surrounding electorates. It is an extraordinary betrayal of those residents and an extraordinary betrayal of our community. The public will not stand for it. They can see through the government's lies, and I urge all members to support this motion.

The house divided on the motion:

Ayes 13

Noes 18

Majority 5

Motion thus negatived.

Ms Cook interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Fisher will not reflect on the result of the division.