Emergency Departments

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:13): A further question to the Minister for Health: how much did SA Health spend on the mass distribution of Transforming Health promotional material in March 2017, and would the minister agree that money would have been better spent on supporting the Modbury medical emergency team?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:13): Absolutely not. That work was worth every single dollar we have invested. When you have people in the Liberal Party telling lies, saying that the emergency department has been closed—

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Point of order: 127. I object to the minister saying that people in the Liberal Party are telling lies.

The SPEAKER: The Liberal Party is not an entity that has a reputation to defend in the house. The house is concerned with individual members.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I am trying to make a ruling and I have been interrupted by the member for MacKillop, whom I call to order, and the member for Adelaide and the member for Fisher.

There being a disturbance in the strangers' gallery:

The SPEAKER: There is to be no flash photography in the house, so could the attendants please remove the person who used flash photography in violation of the rules of the house. Would the minister be seated.

Just to catch up with calls to order, I notice the member for Adelaide had already been called to order, so she is warned. The members for Kavel, Hammond, Morphett and the deputy leader are called to order, and the member for Kavel is warned. Usually, the policy of the opposition is not relevant information to provide the house, so I would ask ministers only to provide small doses of that. I think the minister has already provided his dose.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Sorry, sir, but the question was: why is the Department of Health advertising information about the Modbury Hospital and about the services there? The fact that the individuals within the Liberal Party have been blatantly telling mistruths is germane is the answer to that question. Mr Speaker—

The SPEAKER: Could the attendants just deal with the flash photography in the front row of the strangers' gallery. There is to be no artificial illumination in taking photographs. The minister makes a reasonable case; he has made his point, could he move on.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Certainly, sir. The fact that there have been individuals who have blatantly and recklessly told mistruths about the operation of the Modbury Hospital emergency department is the main reason why I have had my department undertake a campaign about the services that continue to be offered at the Modbury Hospital because it is important, and a matter of public safety, that people know that those mistruths are incorrect.

The truth is that the Modbury emergency department continues to run seven days a week, 24 hours a day, with specialist-led care. That is a very, very important matter. Just like any other public health advertising campaign—and my department undertakes to provide important information to residents—that is very, very important. If certain individuals (and they know who they are; it's on the public record) ceased providing reckless and dangerous mistruths all for base political purposes, then you would find that it may not be necessary to undertake such an advertising campaign.

Nonetheless, when you have individuals who are behaving so dangerously and so recklessly in putting out information that is not true, it is incumbent upon the Department of Health in this state to undertake a significant advertising campaign about the services that are offered. It is a matter of public safety, and I do not resile or apologise for it for one minute.

Ms CHAPMAN: Supplementary.

The SPEAKER: Before the supplementary, which of course I will grant, I call to order the members for Mount Gambier and Hartley, and I warn the member for Hammond and the member for Mount Gambier. The deputy leader.