SA Health, ICAC Report

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:33): Why should South Australians ever believe a word you say when you say one thing publicly and one thing privately?

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: Apart from the fact that the question was not directed through the Chair, I uphold the point of order for, take your pick, probably 97. Premier, I have upheld the point of order, so you will be seated and I will give the leader another go.

An honourable member: Don't make him angry, sir.

The SPEAKER: Wouldn't be the first time.

Mr MALINAUSKAS: My question is to the Premier. Is the Premier's credibility now in tatters?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:33): Can I be very clear: if anybody's credibility is in tatters, it can only be the Leader of the Opposition's.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, Minister for Innovation!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Let's unpack exactly and precisely what the concerns of the people of South Australia are on this matter. On coming to government, the immediate minister before coming to government was, of course, the Leader of the Opposition. He knew exactly and precisely, or at least he should have known exactly and precisely, what was going on in the largest agency in the South Australian government.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: He really only has two options here.

The Hon. C.L. Wingard interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Minister for Police!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: (1) He failed in his responsibility to fully understand what was going on within CALHN, or (2) he actually knew exactly and precisely what was going on and failed to tell the people of South Australia. Either way—

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order: this is all debate. The Premier spent a minute talking about the Leader of the Opposition, not his own credibility.

The SPEAKER: I have the point of order.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order: Speaker Atkinson made it very clear that a question of that nature invites an answer of this nature.

The SPEAKER: Well, not literally like that, but he would allow more scope, and I am going to uphold that point of order. He was a very wise man, but I do caution the Premier and ask him to come back to the substance of the question. The Premier has the call, but, yes, with that sort of question he will have some latitude.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Thank you very much, sir. I think the question was very clear. It was about credibility and the lack of credibility. Let's unpack exactly and precisely—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader is on two warnings.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —what occurred within CALHN. When we came to government, we were almost immediately presented with a range of issues associated with the new Royal Adelaide Hospital, none of which had previously been disclosed to the people of South Australia. Some of them were very substantial. Some of them have cost the taxpayers—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —of South Australia a very, very large sum of money. Why didn't the Leader of the Opposition come clean with the people of South Australia? Why didn't he tell them the truth? Or maybe he didn't know. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt: maybe he simply never asked.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: Premier, there is a point of order. The point of order is for debate.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Debate, sir, impugning an improper motive and unparliamentary behaviour.

The SPEAKER: Yes, I have the point of order. I will allow some preamble and some compare and contrast and then ask the Premier to come back to the substance of the question.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: We had very, very substantial issues with regard to the hospital and its functionality—very serious.

Mr Malinauskas: It was brand new.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: The Leader of the Opposition is now shouting from the other side of the chamber, 'It was brand new,' like that means it was all perfect. Actually, there were—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Light!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —major deficiencies with this new hospital, which previously were not disclosed to the people of South Australia ahead of the last election. Then take a look at the financial situation.

Coming to government, CALHN, just part of the overall health sector in South Australia, was over budget, tracking between $300 million and $400 million over budget per year. Was that made clear to the people of South Australia? Absolutely not. Then when we actually appoint KordaMentha to go in and take a detailed look—opposed by those who never wanted anyone to ever find out exactly and precisely what was going on—they complain and complain—

Mr Teague interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Heysen!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —about the costs. But what did they find out? Major, major systems problems right across that organisation. Tens of millions of dollars' worth of activities had been performed here in South Australia and the bill was never passed on to the commonwealth who were responsible for it, so the state taxpayers were wearing this bill every single year—tens of millions of dollars—because of the ineptitude of the Leader of the Opposition. If anybody's credibility is in tatters, it is one person in this parliament—and that is the Leader of the Opposition.

The Hon. C.L. Wingard interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Police will be quiet.