SA Ambulance Service

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (14:52): My question is to the Premier. What is the Premier's response to the account of frontline paramedic Jim Murchland, who has spoken publicly about being run off his feet with no ability to respond to an emergency? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr PICTON: The Sunday before last, paramedic on the frontline Jim Murchland bravely recounted his last shift saying, and I quote:

I just went from job to job to job…

Towards the very end of the night myself, my partner and then another ambulance crew were all too fatigued and short on equipment to attend a life-threatening case.

I'm actually at risk of [just] crashing into a tree if I go.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:53): I thank the member for his question. We take these concerns extraordinarily seriously. We thank our paramedics and those who work in the South Australian Ambulance Service for the outstanding job they do on behalf of the people of South Australia.

In response to questions the member asked most recently regarding the net costs or the cost of the South Australian Ambulance Service, it was asserted there was a reduction. I have just had a look at the budget paper, which is available to every single person here, and what we can actually see is not as suggested by the member but in fact quite the opposite. If we look at the budget for the SA Ambulance Service—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my right!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —in 2019-20, the budget was $305 million. Then the expenses in—

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —2020-21 actually go up from $305 million—

Mr Picton interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Kaurna!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —to $313 million.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Hurtle Vale!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: So you can see that there has been an increase in the expenses. I don't want to assert improper motive, but I think the member was basically trying to look at the net cost, which included the income which comes into the area. I make the point that the expenses, the amount of money going in, are actually significantly higher. I also took the opportunity to check the assertion that was made by those opposite—

Ms Cook interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Hurtle Vale is warned.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —regarding the number of nurses in the system as well between the 2017-18 budget and the 2019-20 budget. In fact, I think members would be very interested to know that there was actually an increase of 286 in the number of nurses between those two areas. One of the great things about our parliament is that you can go and check the budget. They are all just in the area out behind here. As I said, the budget for expenses within the South Australian Ambulance Service has actually increased from 2019-20 year through to the 2020-21 year by around $8 million.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Before I call the member for Schubert, I call to order the member for Kaurna, I warn the member for Hammond and I call to order the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport.