Ambulance Ramping

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (15:06): My question is to the Premier. Premier, what was the ramping hours peak that you were informed of in the month of May this year? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr PICTON: The Premier told ABC radio on Monday morning, and I quote, 'I know that both June and July were lower than the peak that we had in May.' The government has not released any statistics in regard to ramping since the April statistics.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Planning and Local Government) (15:07): The member for Kaurna is quite right. That was a statement that I made earlier this week or maybe late last week. I don't have those statistics with me, but I am happy—

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: —to get those statistics. They were being compiled by the South Australian Ambulance Service. I will make inquiries with regard to it and we will release those figures. I was made aware when I—

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Lee is warned, the leader is warned and the member for Elizabeth is called to order. We are almost there.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: As I was saying, I made inquiries with regard to ramping at hospitals, a phenomenon that was introduced by the previous Labor government that we are doing everything we can to address at the moment. What I found out was that in both June and July we had a reduction in ramping in South Australia from—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Look at them!

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: They get so excited. They invented ramping. They brought it to South Australia and we are doing everything we can to address it. We will release those statistics. We are working hard to improve the situation, what we received from the previous government. In light of the time, I will sit down so that the Independents get their questions up.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Florey.

Ms BEDFORD: I was hoping to ask a question of the Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing, but I just notice that he's not here, so I will wait until tomorrow.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Member for Florey, you know very well that we should not reflect on the whereabouts—

Ms BEDFORD: Well, I was hoping he might come back in.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Regardless of that, just ask your question.