Federal Budget

Ms COOK (Fisher) (14:19): Will the Treasurer update the house on the latest developments on the campaign by this government to have the federal government reverse its $80 billion cut to health and education from their 2014 federal budget?

The SPEAKER: The question is to the Treasurer.

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Chaffey is warned.

Mr Tarzia interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Hartley is warned.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy) (14:20): May I say, sir, it is refreshing to see the spirit of Graham Gunn alive and well in the parliament today. All members are aware that the centrepiece of the 2014-15 commonwealth budget was cuts. They were deep, they were unprecedented and they were delivered without warning or notice. They totalled $80 billion in health and education across the nation over a 10-year period. Scorched earth. In South Australia they totalled $5.5 billion over a decade, $655 million of which impacts the health sector between 2014-15 through to 2017-18.

Dr McFetridge interjecting:

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

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: These are real cuts with real impacts on real people.

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

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

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Despite the views of members opposite, one of whom chose to go to print this week with the absurd claim that these cuts were make-believe, I can assure the house that they are real and they are having a massive impact on the state budget. Whilst those opposite don't think these cuts are real, they appear in the commonwealth budget papers themselves. Maybe those opposite should ask their hero, Liberal Premier Mike Baird, a successful Liberal—

The SPEAKER: Point of order.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: I take objection to the improper interjection by the member for Chaffey, and I am not prepared to say what it was he said to the Treasurer.

The SPEAKER: Would the member for Wright approach the chair and confidentially disclose what is alleged to have been said. Treasurer.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I am sure they would be enlightened by Premier Baird's response. Our government has campaigned strongly against these cuts, and with the commonwealth government now preparing its May budget, whenever it is, it is now an important time for all South Australians to add their voice to the campaign. Last month, a meeting of health and education stakeholders, businesses and universities met with the Premier and other government ministers to hear an update on these commonwealth government cuts.

Today, the Australian Medical Association, who was represented at our federal cuts taskforce meeting, restated their position on these cruel cuts. They say that Australian public hospitals are facing a catastrophic funding crisis from 2017, when the full impact of these cuts take effect. They say, and I quote the AMA President, Professor Brian Owler:

The AMA has highlighted the crisis facing public hospitals and patients for almost two years, but the Federal Government has done nothing.

This government knows how they feel. Since the cuts were handed down we have consistently applied pressure to have the commonwealth government reverse these cuts. Unfortunately, our calls have been ignored and our state budget has suffered as a result.

Ms Sanderson interjecting:

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

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Professor Owler notes that these cuts will have a real impact on the treatment of patients. Waiting times will increase, causing patient health to suffer.

Mr Bell interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Mount Gambier is warned.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: We need to find a solution to this problem; a long-term solution, not a bandaid fix. The calls from the AMA—

Mr Pederick interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I call the member for Hammond to order.

Mr Knoll interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Schubert is warned.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Professor Owler has called on the Prime Minister to use the May budget to offer a long-term public hospital funding—

Mr Bell interjecting:

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

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —commitment. Today we join him in those calls. I encourage every South Australian to join our campaign to fight these cruel cuts—

Mr Duluk interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I call the member for Davenport to order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —to South Australia's schools and hospitals by joining the campaign—

Mr Tarzia interjecting:

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

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: —at www.federalcutshurt.com.au. We need a united front to apply pressure on the commonwealth government to fix this problem that they created and commit to properly fund health care in this country.

The SPEAKER: Would the Treasurer please approach the chair. The deputy leader.