Ambulance Ramping

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:19): My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Health. How can the minister inform the house that ramping was not a contributing factor to last night's ambulance shortage in the southern suburbs, but then not rule out ramping occurring at the Flinders Medical Centre?

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart—Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:20): Again, a very similar question and I have a very similar answer. Advice from South Australian—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Lee is warned, as is the member for Hurtle Vale.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Advice from the South Australian Ambulance Service and from the Southern Adelaide—

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I remind the member for Lee that he has been warned.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Advice from the South Australian Ambulance Service and the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network is that neither ramping nor any other hospital-based issue was a factor in the delivery of ambulance care in the south last night, including Flinders Medical Centre.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order: the minister just quoted advice from the Ambulance Service. Could you please ask him to table that?

The SPEAKER: There is a point of order on the point of order.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: If the minister was claiming to be quoting directly from a document, then the member for West Torrens' point would have a lot more going for it.

The SPEAKER: Is the minister quoting a document in his possession?

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: No, sir. As the Manager of Government Business said very clearly, I would have said if I was quoting.

The SPEAKER: Thank you for clarifying. I do not uphold the point of order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I ask the minister to continue and I would like to hear his answer. If the interjections could cease, that would be excellent.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I was so hoping that just once, sir—

The SPEAKER: I wasn't accusing you; I would never accuse the member for West Torrens of doing something that he hadn't.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order: the minister said 'according to advice from the SA Ambulance Service', sir. I would ask you, at the conclusion of question time, to check the Hansard.

The SPEAKER: I will conduct all relevant inquiries that I need to in order to discharge my duties. Thank you, member for West Torrens; you have made your point.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Can I have another point of order, sir?

The SPEAKER: No, I want to hear the minister's answer. Minister.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: To help those opposite, particularly the member for West Torrens, let me be really clear about this: a parliamentary briefing note provided to me just after—

The SPEAKER: Internal memoranda; thank you.

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: —during the lunch break from the office of the Minister for Health and Wellbeing includes, and I quote:

Advice from the South Australian Ambulance Service and Southern Adelaide Local Health Network is that neither ramping nor any other hospital-based issue was a factor in the delivery of ambulance care in the south last night.