Royal Adelaide Hospital

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:15): My question is to the Minister for Health. Given that the minister's release announcing the first major default notice on 5 April this year said:

The key issue we need to have addressed as soon as possible is for SAHP to provide us with a realistic date for Technical Completion.

What is the current date for technical completion, and what is the earliest possible opening date for the new hospital?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:15): As I said, if the Leader of the Opposition, instead of just reading his scripted questions provided to him by others—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: —if he actually listened to the answers, he might find himself a better performer in the parliament, but unfortunately he cannot deviate from script. He can't change the script, he is so beholden to what is put in front of him. He doesn't change the script when the answer has previously been answered. The man just does not listen to anything that is said in this place, because he cannot deviate from the questions that have been written for him by others.

An honourable member: What is the answer?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: The answer, as I have already said just seconds before, is that I will be in a position to say what date it is when it is a date I have confidence in.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: At the moment we have experts who are going through the cure plan. This is a substantial document, and as soon as we have confidence in the dates that have been put up by SAHP, then I will be in a position to say more. But I won't be saying more until I am in a position where I have confidence that the date I am providing to the people of South Australia is one I can rely on. In the meantime, let me point out that taxpayers save approximately $1 million every day.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: One million dollars every day comes off the price of this contract. One million dollars a day that we save goes back to the budget bottom line, because we're not paying it to SAHP. This represents a significant saving to taxpayers every single day that it's late. The entire risk that sits around this project sits with SAHP, it sits with the builder. It does not sit with the taxpayers of South Australia.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: The member for Stuart.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Debate, sir, debate which commenced before any interjections occurred.

The SPEAKER: The minister did debate the matter, but then there was a wall of interjections.

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Indeed. It is best to let the play flow, I think. Leader.