SA Health

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (14:30): My question is to the Premier. Has the Premier instructed SA Health that doctor and nurse numbers are not to be impacted by the 880 FTE reduction listed in your state budget?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:30): We made it very clear in the lead-up to the election that we wouldn't be cutting doctor and nurse numbers going forward. We believed there were huge efficiencies that needed to be gained. We found the previous system completely and utterly dysfunctional.

I note that the member for Kaurna himself today on radio presented the people with a very truthful fact when he was asked by the interviewer, 'Did Labor leave the health system in a good state?' and he truthfully answered no. I thank the member for Kaurna for that.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I thought it was extraordinary, but I thought it was truthful.

Mr PICTON: Point of order: not only is that rubbish but it is debate.

The SPEAKER: The reference to rubbish is not on. On whether it was debate, I will listen carefully to ensure that the answer sticks to the substance of the question. I ask members to please be silent so I can hear the Premier's answer.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I was wrapping up, but given the new material that I have just been presented with—I thank the member for Kaurna. It was quite an interesting interview on the radio today. When asked the question by the interviewer if Labor had left the place in pretty good shape—

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order: relevance and debate, sir.

The SPEAKER: I have the point of order. The point of order was for debate. I am not going to take the same point of order within five seconds. I am listening to relevant information. I expect some information relating to health. It's coming out.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens can leave for one hour under 137A.

The Hon. D.G. Pisoni: You don't run the show, Tom.

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Industry is warned for a second and final time.

The honourable member for West Torrens having withdrawn from the chamber:

The SPEAKER: As I was saying, I will allow some preamble, but then I expect the Premier to return to the substance of the question.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: The substance of the question, sir, was whether or not we were going to cut 880 doctors and nurses from the health system in South Australia. We make it very clear that we have no plans whatsoever to cut any doctors, any nurses. We made this commitment, sir, as you would be more than aware, in the lead-up to the election. Unlike those opposite, when we got elected we looked at all of the commitments that we had made, and we have worked methodically through all of them and we have delivered on all of them. When we handed down our budget in September, commentators were aghast. Finally they had a government in South Australia that delivered on the things that they said before the election—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Leader! Member for Kaurna!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —unlike those opposite who made a lot of promises when it came to health but never actually delivered on them. Not only will we meet our obligations with regard to the health service but, as those opposite have to unfortunately agree, we are putting more money into the budget. This wasn't money that we promised in the lead-up to the election, but coming to government we knew that we couldn't, with all conscience, proceed with the cuts that the previous government had provided for the people of South Australia in their Mid-Year Budget Review to be delivered.

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Leader!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: They couldn't be delivered and not have a very serious adverse effect on the health system in South Australia. So what did we do? We actually reversed many of those cuts. In fact, we put an additional $800 million back into the budget. We have already put new beds back into the system. We will continue to do every single solitary thing we can to fix the mess that we inherited from those opposite.

Mr Patterson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Morphett is called to order.

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader will cease interjecting so that I can hear the member for Kaurna's question, and then the member for Flinders.