SA Ambulance Service

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:08): My question is to the Premier. When was the Premier first informed about the 17 adverse incidents and the cluster of nine deaths within SA Ambulance?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:09): I don't have an exact date with me at the moment, but the reality is that I have very regular catch-ups with the Minister for Health. There are a large number of issues that the Minister for Health and Wellbeing is working through—most of those, of course, he inherited from the previous government—and that's exactly and precisely why this report was commissioned from the independent expert, Associate Professor Peter Hibbert. Let's be very clear—

The Hon. V.A. Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Let's be very clear on what we are talking about here, because—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —those opposite might like to actually reflect on their own performance when they were in government. Last calendar year, there were 12 adverse incidents that have been confirmed. In 2015, there were 28. Now—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —it begs the question, in that year—there were 12 last calendar year that were reported. I don't know whether you have had a chance to read the report yet—

The SPEAKER: I haven't, but I will.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —but we made it very clear on Monday, when we released the report, that there were 17 incidents that were investigated. Sixteen were reported and 12 are confirmed adverse incidents for the whole of last year. That's what the report contains. I am comparing those 12 adverse incidents last calendar year with the 28 in 2015. Yes, there were a heightened number of reports made last year, and that's exactly why the government commissioned this report.

It begs the question of whether or not there was a similar report commissioned, received and then made transparently clear to the people of South Australia back in 2015. I have been looking around the office: nothing. It would be very interesting to know whether any of those opposite knew about the seriously heightened level of adverse incidents reported back under their watch and whether they have some investigation that they have been keeping hidden from the people of South Australia.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: Premier, please resume your seat. There is a point of order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: This is clearly debate, sir.

The SPEAKER: The point of order is for debate. I have allowed the Premier some preamble. I ask him to come back to the substance of the question. No, the Premier has concluded his answer. Excellent.

Before I move to the member for Heysen and then the member for Kaurna, I call the following members to order: the member for Kaurna, the member for Badcoe, the Leader of the Opposition, the member for Playford, the Deputy Premier and the Minister for Industry. Member for Heysen.