Question Time

SA Health, ICAC Report

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:04): My question is to the Premier. Now that the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption has delivered his report on SA Health, will the Premier now provide him with the resources that he has requested to conduct a full investigation into the state's largest public sector agency?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:04): Yes, the Leader of the Opposition is right. This is the largest public sector agency, and we thank the commissioner for the report, which he delivered to the government last week, which has now been tabled in parliament and available for all to read. I myself am about two-thirds of the way through this report.

I thank the commissioner for his report. He identifies a range of issues that are of concern to the government. It's fair to say that many of these issues have been raised over an extended period of time. In fact, nowhere in this report does it say that these new problems have existed in the last 18 or 19 months. In fact, there are many references—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —which go back many years which were failed to be addressed by the previous government. We are fully aware that there are very serious problems associated with SA Health, and we are trying to work as quickly as we can through the problems that we inherited from the previous government. I am personally of the opinion—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —that we are making good progress, but this report I think shines a further light on some of the issues that are remaining within SA Health. This is why we announce now that the government will establish immediately an interagency task force to look at this report—

Mr Picton: A task force? What a joke!

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Kaurna!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and we will work through the issues raised in this report. This interagency task force will be headed up by Jim McDowell, who is the Chief Executive of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, and will have representatives on it from the Department of Treasury—

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Lee!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and the office for public sector employment and, of course, SA Health. We will work diligently through a range of issues that have been canvassed in this report.

The SPEAKER: Before I go to the leader, unfortunately I have to call the following members to order: the member for Davenport, the member for Wright, the member for Badcoe and the leader. The member for Playford is also warned. The member for Kaurna is also warned and the member for Elizabeth and the member for Lee. Leader.