Question Time

SA Ambulance Service

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:05): My question is to the Premier. What responsibility does the Premier take for there being no ambulances available to attend emergencies south of the CBD through to Victor Harbor at 8.30pm yesterday evening?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my left, be quiet. The Minister for Energy and Mining representing the Minister for Health has the call.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart—Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:06): Not only does that question involve argument, it actually involves false argument because the 8.30—

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Point of order, Mr Speaker: the remedy for such a complaint would be making a point of order rather than how the minister answered that question.

The SPEAKER: I am taking the point from the member for Lee on board. I will listen to the answer. Minister.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: The Leader of the Opposition in his question made the statement that there were no ambulances available at 8.30pm last night in the southern suburbs, and that is clearly incorrect because at 8.50 last night in the southern suburbs four ambulances—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: At 8.50pm last night, four ambulances were dispatched to a very serious accident—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: —so there must have been ambulances available around the place.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Let me just say that while it is important to correct the Leader of the Opposition, medical care and emergency care—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my left, I would like to hear the answer.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Medical care, and particularly emergency care, for the people of South Australia is incredibly important and the government, the Premier, the Minister for Health and Wellbeing and everybody working in our health system in government takes this responsibility very seriously.

We respect that the ambulance union seeks to advocate for its members and that their EB negotiations are underway at the moment, but it is important to point out what a great job the actual ambulance officers are doing. Advice from the SA Ambulance Service and the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network is that neither ramping nor any other hospital-based issue was a factor in delivering any ambulance care in the south of Adelaide last night.