Question Time

KordaMentha

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (14:47): My question is to the Premier. Has the Premier personally read either of the KordaMentha reports and, if so, when did he read them?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:47): We're very satisfied with the reports that have been read by KordaMentha. They provide us with a very clear picture of exactly and precisely the mess that we were left by the previous government. I don't have an exact date as to when I read the document, but it is a sad indictment on the previous government. I only wish—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —on behalf of the taxpayers of South Australia that the previous government had commissioned a report into their own mismanagement—dysfunctional and chaotic mismanagement—of the health system in South Australia, then we could have been pushing ahead with reform as quickly as possible. We made it clear on coming to government that we would do everything we could to improve performance of the health system in South Australia. Obviously, there are many things that we need to do, but the principal problem has been with the Central Adelaide Local Health Network.

Ms Stinson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Badcoe is on two warnings and close to the edge today. The Premier has the call.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: It is important, as you would be aware, sir, to get an accurate picture of what is going on in the Central Adelaide Local Health Network—

Mr Duluk interjecting:

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

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —before we embark on the fix because—

An honourable member: The fix?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Yes, the fix—because there's plenty of work to be done in that area. I think the previous government had an inkling of things going a little bit wrong there. There was the blowout on that site of the new Royal Adelaide Hospital, which was a bit of an indicator as to the problems that existed there. The emergency department problems were well known to the previous government. The design—

Mr PICTON: Point of order, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Point of order; the Premier will be seated. Before I hear the point of order, I call to order and I warn for the second and final time the member for Elizabeth and the member for Reynell. For debate?

Mr PICTON: The question was very clear: has he read it and when did he read it?

The SPEAKER: Yes, I have the question—

Mr PICTON: This is debate.

The SPEAKER: Premier, it is about the reading of a report. I expect the Premier—

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I said I didn't have the date, sir.

The SPEAKER: Okay; has the Premier completed his answer?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Well, I could go on and—

The SPEAKER: Will you please wrap it up.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —talk about some of the things that were canvassed in the diagnostic report because—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left! I'm trying to hear this answer. Members will be departing shortly if this continues.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —the emergency department was poorly designed. Clinicians were not consulted. This was a problem with patient flow, which was known to those opposite. We shouldn't have had to go to the cost for taxpayers to find that out because they knew it. We know, for example, that the former health minister, now the Leader of the Opposition, would have known about the very substantial blowout in the Central Adelaide Local Health Network budget for last financial year.

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

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

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: It was hundreds of millions of dollars. It beggars belief that the former minister didn't know what the magnitude of that blowout was. We've got the details now because we had to do the work to find out that information, but the Leader of the Opposition would have known that information. Only he can tell the people of South Australia why he failed to make that clear to the people of South Australia before the election. I suppose there are two issues: (1) he might have said to his department, 'Don't tell me—

Mr PICTON: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: There is a point of the order, Premier.

Mr PICTON: Debate.

The SPEAKER: The point of order is for debate. Is the Premier finished?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: No.

The SPEAKER: Can you please wrap it up.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Another issue that was covered in the report I have received was about the 'no discharge lounge', which, of course, was something which everybody has been advocating for. If the previous government had listened to anybody, it would have been able to incorporate this into the design and we would not be left with the fix.

There was no space for overnight elective sleep services—again, a complete mess, oversight, by the previous government, and we are working through that issue as we speak. The diagnostic report points to the problems. We are now out to the market to make sure that we can get on and fix the problems that we inherited.

The SPEAKER: The member for Florey, and I will come back to the member for Kaurna.