Women's Hospital

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:16): Thank you. Can the minister provide any plausible explanation to this house and to the people of South Australia why the cost per bed has blown out from $2 million to $4 million between the time that he has presented those costings to the people of this state—$2 million to $4 million? Is there any plausible explanation?

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: Should we just start shouting back? Is that what you want?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:17): If the Leader of the Opposition will just calm—

The SPEAKER: The Treasurer is called to order.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: —the farm, the cost of a hospital is not driven solely by the number of beds. A hospital is more than just the beds that are in it.

Ms Sanderson interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: A modern hospital has other things as well.

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

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: A hospital has more than just beds. The Leader of the Opposition might be interested to know that a hospital has operating theatres or technical suites. A hospital has medical imaging. A hospital generally has pathology labs. A hospital has many, many other services—outpatient services, outpatient clinics. It is not just beds. I know that this is a difficult issue for the poor old Leader of the Opposition to get his head around, but a hospital really is more than just its beds, and you cannot come up with a simple equation whereby a hospital's cost is driven by the number of beds it has.

The SPEAKER: Minister for Health, I have sought advice on your reference to the Leader of the Opposition as a 'demented banshee'. It has been held unparliamentary to refer to a member as a 'demented parrot'. There is no reference to 'banshee'; therefore, I am ruling it in. The minister will withdraw and apologise for the reference to 'demented'.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Happy to withdraw, sir.

The SPEAKER: No—

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: I withdraw, sir.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Just withdraw.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Just withdraw.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: No, the minister realised his error and immediately corrected himself to a plain withdrawal, as I required the member for Hammond to do yesterday.