Blood Tests

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (14:46): My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Health. Will the minister guarantee that after the privatisation of health services, which he previously opposed, there will not be increased costs for blood tests? The minister himself, in this house on 12 June 2012, said:

…the government's role is to fill the gap where the private sector does not provide: to provide services that the private sector does not provide, important jobs on behalf of all taxpayers and all South Australians; to provide a health service, which is very important, as the private sector will not provide the complete health service that we all deserve…

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart—Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:47): As a relatively inexperienced member of parliament back in 2012, I would absolutely stand by that comment. It is the role of public services, and not only in Health, to fill the gaps where private services don't fill them.

The opposition ran out of questions on Tuesday; the way they are trying to address that on Thursday is to be recycling Wednesday's questions. My word, sir, what are we going to do with these guys? It's budget week, and you would think they would be so full of questions. But you have kicked out the former treasurer, you have kicked out the shadow treasurer, and in budget week they have nothing else other than yesterday's questions.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The question was about potential increased costs for blood tests, minister, thank you.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Yesterday, the shadow minister for health asked me about a quote of mine that I think he said came from February 2015—separate to the 2012 one he just shared with the house—and he asked if I still stood by that. The substance of that quote, and I don't remember every word, was that where the services can't be provided by the private sector there shouldn't be privatisation.

Let me say again, the Minister for Health, the Treasurer, the Premier and our government have said that we will have a look at Pathology SA. They have said very clearly that we will look to see where there are gaps, where services need to be fulfilled by the private sector and where they need to be fulfilled by the public sector. We will look at cost comparisons, we will look at all the options, and where it seems sensible to make a change we will and where it seems sensible to stay the same we will, and where it seems sensible to do something different we will.

That is the substance of the Minister for Health and our government's commitment, and it is completely consistent with what I said on the record in 2012, what I said on the record in 2015, and what I say on the record today.