SA Health, ICAC Report

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:19): Who came up with the idea for an interagency task force?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:19): I am happy to answer these questions. I think that it's a very logical response to—

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan: It was an immaculate conception.

The SPEAKER: The member for Lee is definitely warned for that interjection.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —the report that we received. We are very happy with the fact that we have established this interagency task force.

Ms Stinson: Who came up with it?

The SPEAKER: The member for Badcoe is warned.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: We think that it's a very sensible way to go. It's a very logical response to a very complex and important area for South Australia. On coming into government, we were confronted with a range of issues in relation to—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Lee is warned for a second and final time.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —SA Health. It seems very obvious that those opposite are—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens is warned for a second and final time.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: It seems very obvious to me that those opposite have no interest whatsoever in fixing the health system in South Australia. They handed it over to us in an appalling state.

Mr Pederick: They just trashed health.

The SPEAKER: Member for Hammond!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: There is nobody in this entire world who thinks that the health system that we inherited from those opposite was anywhere near what the people of South Australia expect, and we have worked very diligently every single day that we have been in.

I make it very clear, as you would be aware, sir—because you pay attention in question time—that this government has put in more than $1 billion into the health budget since we came into government.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: There's a lot of work to be done. You cannot fix the system that we inherited in five minutes, but I am absolutely convinced that we are making extraordinarily good progress, and I think that this interagency task force will assist in that process. Again, I make the point that many of the issues—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader is warned. Premier.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: It's a shame, sir, that those opposite don't take the extraordinarily important repair of the health system more seriously.

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

The SPEAKER: Premier, there is a point of order. If you could just be seated for one moment.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The Premier is imputing improper motive to the opposition, and it is debate.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order, sir, on the point of order: it is the long-established practice of the house that that standing order requires a member, not a class or group of members, to take offence, and the person who has been here longer than anyone should have picked it up by now.

The SPEAKER: Yes. I don't need the speech as well.

Mr Patterson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Morphett is warned. Member for West Torrens, I ask that the interjections cease. I believe the Premier has concluded his answer.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: No. I would like to just continue talking about the important work of repairing the health system in South Australia. We have put more than $1 billion in.

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Leader!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: There is a lot of sensitivity on the opposition benches because they all have to take collective responsibility for the failure in the health system that they passed over to us—none more so, though, on the opposition benches than the Leader of the Opposition. He, of course—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: The Leader of the Opposition complains that he only had five months to understand what was going on, and that wasn't long enough. It didn't take us five months to understand the full mess that we had inherited from those opposite. I don't hear anybody opposite, in fact, talking up the prospects of Transforming Health. That expression is no longer used in South Australia—

The Hon. C.L. Wingard interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Minister for Police!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and, at every single opportunity, the Leader of the Opposition wants to back out and talk about that he was only the health minister for five months.

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, leader!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: What about taking responsibility? This is a huge embarrassment for the Leader of the Opposition. He knew—

Mr Brown interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Playford will leave for the remainder of question time under 137A.

The honourable member for Playford having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: He knew exactly and precisely what was going on in the Central Adelaide Local Health Network, but he failed to inform the people of South Australia.

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

The SPEAKER: Point of order. Premier, be seated.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The debate that the Premier is engaging in is causing lots of interruption to the house.

The SPEAKER: The point of order is for debate. I uphold the point of order. Premier, would you please conclude your answer.

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Premier has concluded his answer. The Leader of the Opposition, although I give him much lenience as the leader, will be leaving if this level of interjection continues today.