Strathalbyn Hospital

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (14:47): My question again is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Can the minister tell the house when the Strathalbyn Hospital emergency department will reopen?

The Hon. C.J. PICTON (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:47): This is a good question because this was yet another element of our health system that was closed under the previous Marshall Liberal government.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Morphett!

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: What do they say about the salmon that jump onto the hook?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the member for Elizabeth and the member for Morialta!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister has the call.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Hammond! The member for Hammond has asked his question. Let's hear the answer.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: In fact, I can advise the house that the Strathalbyn emergency department was not closed recently, like the former Liberal government closed the hydrotherapy pool, but was closed back in March 2020.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The question has been asked.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Elizabeth! The member for Chaffey!

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: I can also provide assistance for the member for Hammond that it was closed over 800 days ago—

An honourable member: 800 days?

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: Yes, 800 days.

The Hon. P.B. Malinauskas: And he kept talking about it 700 days after that.

The SPEAKER: The Premier is called to order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: This is a serious issue for people in Strathalbyn. I would like to have the opportunity to have a further discussion with the member for Hammond about what advocacy he has done, if any, over those 800 days in relation to the reopening of the emergency department.

The SPEAKER: Minister, there is a point of order. I will hear it—

The Hon. P.B. Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Premier is called to order.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for West for Torrens is called to order.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for West Torrens! The member for Morialta on a point of order.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Standing order 98: this was a respectful, straightforward question that the minister is now debating.

The SPEAKER: The minister is permitted, having regard to the approach taken by former Speakers to introduce a degree of what was described by those Speakers as compare and contrast and which I describe as context.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: It is a genuine offer to the member for Hammond. I would love to sit down with him and hear what advocacy he has put in in relation to this over the past 800 days.

Mr Pederick interjecting:

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: We are absolutely committed to in fact expanding health services in Strathalbyn, and I think people will be delighted to know in approximately 13 minutes the Treasurer will be coming to this parliament with a plan to put the first ever staffed Ambulance Service into Strathalbyn. This is a very important service to address significant—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister has the call.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: I know it is disorderly to address interjections, but it is so tempting when the member for Hammond says it was being built under us.

The Hon. P.B. Malinauskas: Rubbish, complete rubbish.

The SPEAKER: The Premier is called to order.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: There was absolutely no budgeted staff going into Strathalbyn. Under those opposite—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: —it was going to remain a volunteer station. We will be putting in paramedics, paid crew, coverage for that region in terms of ambulance services that they need because we believe that this is a critical issue to improve the services. In relation to the emergency department, we will continue to get advice in relation to the local hospital network board. It was appointed by those opposite in relation to when that can be appropriately reopened, addressing both the COVID and the workforce issues of that hospital, but it has been closed for a significant period of time.

This is a government that is now going to invest in additional services into Strathalbyn because we know that there have been some very serious issues in that community with a lack of ambulance services available, the number of deaths that have been reported publicly. We don't want to see the those sorts of issues happening again because of delayed response times to emergencies. That's why in 12 minutes' time, there will be investments going into Strathalbyn and their health care.