House of Assembly Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1) 55 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Frontline Workers Frontline Workers Mrs HURN House of Assembly Schubert Frontline Workers Mrs HURN (Schubert) (14:58): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. What action is the government taking to keep frontline workers here in South Australia? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain. Leave granted. Mrs HURN House of Assembly Schubert Mrs HURN: David Pope, the past president of the South Australian Salaried Medical Officers Association, stated on ABC Radio on 17 October: Right now the offers being made to doctors are really quite concerning and it’s driving people away from our public system just when we need them most. The Hon. C.J. PICTON House of Assembly Kaurna Minister for Health and Wellbeing The Hon. C.J. PICTON (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:58): I think the offers and percentages being talked about were the percentages negotiated under the salaried agreement in February this year under the previous government. I won't speak in relation to the minister for the public sector, but there is a precedent where those salaried negotiations flow through to the other smaller doctors' arrangements in relation to visiting medical specialists and clinical academics. Obviously, those negotiations are still open. We will continue as a government to have those negotiations. Our focus is on putting additional resources, additional beds, additional staff in— Mr Whetstone interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The member for Chaffey! The Hon. C.J. PICTON House of Assembly Kaurna Minister for Health and Wellbeing The Hon. C.J. PICTON: —to reduce the stress on our frontline healthcare staff to make sure they get the resources they need to care for their patients.