Thebarton Police Barracks

Mr TELFER (Flinders) (14:32): My question is to the Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services. What is the date that the government requires SAPOL to be vacated from the Thebarton Barracks site?

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Treasurer) (14:33): That is actually a question that relates more to the new Women's and Children's Hospital project because, of course, this government took the view that we needed a women's and children's hospital that was fit for the future that would meet the needs of our state and the women and children of our state for many decades into the future.

While we have been working very hard to accelerate the Women's and Children's Hospital project on coming to government in March 2022, in approximately six months we were able to get enough advice and make a decision to select a site that was going to meet the needs of a new women's and children's hospital that would actually have extra overnight paediatric beds and not only have enough beds—

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order, sir.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Cheltenham! The member for Morialta under 134.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Standing order 98: the scope of the question was extremely narrow, asking for a date by which the mounted barracks would have to vacate.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! We are early in the Treasurer's answer. Speakers have upheld the right of ministers or other members to answer a question as they see fit, provided the answer conforms to standing orders—that is, that it responds to the substance of the question. I will listen carefully.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: As I was saying, in roughly six months after getting elected we were able to make a decision for the benefit of the state that we were going to build a much bigger and better located new Women's and Children's Hospital that would meet the needs of women and children in this state well into the future. Then, in roughly a further six months, we had identified and started work on getting the new mounted operations barracks to start construction out at Gepps Cross.

Compare that to two other dates: 2019, when the previous government got a business case for a new women's and children's hospital—

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: —and then sat on it for 30 months without making a decision—

The SPEAKER: Order, Treasurer!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Morialta under 134.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Standing order 98 requires the minister to answer the substance of the question and not debate the matter more broadly. The question was very narrow; its substance is yet to be dealt with. The minister is debating.

The SPEAKER: Of course, an answer is more likely to reply to the substance of the question where it ventilates matters that lie close to the heart or the pith of the question, and I think we are coming to its pith.

The Hon. J.A.W. Gardner: He's talking about 2019, sir.

The SPEAKER: I am listening carefully and the Treasurer has the call.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Lest my answer be pithy, sir, I will do my best. I have demonstrated the extraordinary progress this government has already made in a relatively short period of time, particularly compared with the Women's and Children's Hospital project languishing for 30 months under those opposite after they got the business case in 2019.

My understanding is that there is a date in the second quarter of calendar year 2024, but let me take it on notice and come back to you with something more specific.