House of Assembly: Thursday, February 20, 2020

Contents

Women's and Children's Hospital

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (14:31): My question is to the Premier. Will the Premier intervene and reverse his planned 2019-20 budget cuts of $6 million for the Women's and Children's Health Network?

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Minister for Education) (14:31): The member for Kaurna presents these accusations as facts, and many of them—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: —when tested, meet the threshold. They have been throwing around—

Ms Stinson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Minister, could you be seated for one moment. The member for Badcoe can leave for 30 minutes under 137A for interjecting. I am trying to listen to the minister's answer.

The honourable member for Badcoe having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: For example, earlier in question time we had examples of what were putatively put as quotes from letters, which were full of language and words that don't even appear in the letters. I don't accept the premise of many of the member for Kaurna's questions. I will talk to the Minister for Health about what extra things we are doing to support the Women's and Children's Hospital this year, as we have been every year since we have been in government and as we will continue to do on the road to what is going to be an outstanding new piece of infrastructure, a new Women's and Children's Hospital, which those opposite once thought—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: —was a good idea until they didn't—

Mr Hughes interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Giles!

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: —and until after an election they changed their mind. The fact is the member for Kaurna's credibility is weak on this. While I will indeed bring back further information to the house, I don't accept for a minute the assertions that the member for Kaurna is making.

The SPEAKER: I remind the member for Kaurna that props are out of order.