Ambulance Ramping

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:25): My question is to the Premier. What does the Premier say to Lynsey, a paramedic for more than 16 years, sitting in the gallery today, who says she has seen 'not one shred of empathy from this Liberal government'? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr MALINAUSKAS: Less than an hour ago, Lynsey addressed a crowd gathered on the steps to present a petition signed by 44,000 South Australians calling for an end to ramping. Lynsey said:

I have watched my friends shoulders slump with the weight of expectation and responsibility to do ‘just one more job’. To go without yet another break.

I am no longer proud. I am saddened. I am embarrassed. I am ashamed. And I am utterly exhausted.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:26): I thank the Leader of the Opposition for bringing this to the notice of the parliament. I thank Lynsey for her service to the South Australian Ambulance Service and to the people of South Australia. She, like so many people, is living a life which is filled with stress due to the coronavirus. What we are—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: There is no doubt there is significant increased strain.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Premier, do not respond to interjections. The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Well, there is no doubt there is significant increased strain on our health system—every part of our health system—whether it be in metropolitan Adelaide, whether it be in regional South Australia, whether it be in our—

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Member for Hurtle Vale is warned.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —emergency departments, whether it be in our hospitals or our outpatient services, whether it be in SA Pathology, the South Australian Ambulance Service, the Communicable Disease Control Branch, or, of course, our public health administration. The entire world at the moment is experiencing unprecedented pressure during the coronavirus, but I think every single person working in the system can feel proud that they have kept South Australia safe through this extraordinary period that the world has faced, and I thank every single person working within SA Health.

The pressure has been enormous over the last 19 months. The sacrifices that individuals have had to make and the increased efforts that every single South Australian has made have been exactly and precisely what has kept our state safe at this time. That is why within the government we have recognised this with the most recent $120 million-plus package to further enhance our preparedness for COVID because, as of next Tuesday, we do ease those border restrictions.

We are going to do it in a prudent way. We are only going to allow people to come in who are double-vaccinated and we are going to ask them to have a test within 72 hours of them coming across the border but, regardless of that added level of protection, there will be an increased demand here in South Australia. That's why we have created the equivalent of 400 beds in our health system. That's why we are putting on an unprecedented number of additional people within our health system, and a large part of that is dealing with the South Australian Ambulance Service, with the most recent budget providing a further 74 full-time equivalents in South Australia. To Lynsey—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and to all members of the South Australian—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Lee!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —Ambulance Service, I say thank you. To all members of SA Health, I say thank you very much. And to all South Australians I say not only thank you but every South Australian I think should feel very proud of the way that we have dealt with this coronavirus. To date, there have only been four deaths—tragic deaths, but there have been four. There were more than that in Victoria today. We have much to be grateful for, but this is now our motivation—to make sure that we can continue to do well, getting that vaccination rate up, opening those borders but doing it in a way which doesn't adversely affect outcomes in our state.

The SPEAKER: I will take a further question from the leader, and then I will turn to the member for King.