House of Assembly Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1) 54 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Hospital Beds Hospital Beds Mr MALINAUSKAS House of Assembly Croydon Leader of the Opposition Hospital Beds Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:07): My question is to the Premier. Why did you not tell South Australians before the election that you were going to close beds if you won government? The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly Dunstan Premier Hospital Beds The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:08): As the house would be more than aware, we have been very busy opening beds since coming into government. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I make the parliament aware of all the work that we have had to do— Mr Cregan interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The member for Kavel is called to order. The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —down on the Repat site. When we came to government, the previous government had sold the site and we had to reverse that sale— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and we had to work very hard to increase the number of beds on that site. I think there are currently 50 beds in operation on that site which would not have been in operation if those opposite had won the election. The good news for the people of South Australia— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left! The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —is that those opposite weren't successful at last year's election, and they elected a government to come in and fix up the mess that we inherited— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —from the previous government. We all know who the previous minister for health was. He was absolutely hopeless at his job. Mr Malinauskas House of Assembly Mr Malinauskas: You doubled ramping. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order, leader! The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: An absolutely hopeless situation. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Member for Hurtle Vale! The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL House of Assembly The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: The Leader of the Opposition was the member of a cabinet which decided to close the Repat, putting massive pressure on the southern system in South Australia. However, with regard to flexing of beds, this is something that occurs in hospitals not just in South Australia, not just under this government, but under previous South Australian governments and under virtually every other jurisdiction that I know of. Mr Boyer interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: I call the member for Wright to order. Leader.