Enterprise Patient Administration System

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:36): My question is to the Minister for Health. Can the minister explain to this house why the EPAS project is now showing a cost-benefit outcome to the state of minus $167 million and why there were writedowns of more than $150 million to the projected benefits of this project in January of this year undisclosed to the parliament?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:37): Mr Speaker, I am more than happy to take questions, but I will not be screamed at while I am attempting to answer questions and, if that is the course the Leader of the Opposition wants to take, I will just sit down. I won't have the Leader of the Opposition screaming at me while I am attempting to answer questions, so it is entirely in the hands of the opposition whether they want an answer or not.

Let me say a few things about EPAS. Firstly, EPAS is a 10-year project. It is a 10-year project and a significant rollout across all of our metropolitan hospitals as well as the South Australian Ambulance Service and our GP—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Well, don't worry.

The SPEAKER: The member for Schubert, I warn him. Does the minister wish to continue?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: I will. I will be more than happy to, Mr Speaker. We are talking about a 10-year program. I have consistently said from the beginning that it was expected that as we rolled EPAS out we would probably have to go to the budget at some stage over the next two years for additional funding. I have been saying that at least since estimates—

Mr Marshall: How much?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Okay.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley is warned.

Members interjecting:

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

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I call the member for Wright. The member for Chaffey is called to order, and I notice he is on the question list. It would be really good if he could survive to that point of question time. The member for Wright.