Oakden Mental Health Facility

Mr DULUK (Davenport) (14:56): My question is to the Minister for Mental Health. Given that all the rooms in Ward 18 have a private bathroom, and the Groves review highlighted this aspect as a key design feature for a purpose-built facility, does the minister agree that Ward 18 would be a better long-term site for ongoing care at Northgate?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:56): No, we don't, and the member for Davenport might think he knows better than clinicians who are experts in this area, but when the experts in this area tell us—

Mr van Holst Pellekaan interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Stuart is warned.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: When experts in this area tell us that Ward 18 is not suited to the long-term requirements of residents, as are required for the Oakden residents, that is something this government takes on board. The member for Davenport can harp on about it as much as he wants. We won't be taking the advice of the opposition above the advice of experts in this particular area. We have been—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Who? The member for Davenport is the expert? You've got to be joking! I have known the member for Davenport when he was knee high to a grasshopper.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: When he had hair.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: I knew him when he had hair, indeed. I can tell you one thing. As much admiration as I have—and I look at him as a little brother actually. There are many things on which we agree but there is one thing about the member for Davenport and that is he does not have any particular expertise about the requirements of people in the Oakden facility and what is the best way to accommodate them, and the simple answer—

Mr Wingard interjecting:

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

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: The simple answer is that we are advised that Ward 18 is better suited to a short-term acute type of accommodation and would not meet the needs of the residents of Oakden—not to mention the fact that we would be shifting them from one side of the city to another, putting that aside—the facility itself does not lend itself to the needs of the Oakden facility. The member for Davenport can wish all he wants, but nothing will change that fact.