Proton Therapy in South Australia

Mr TELFER (Flinders) (15:01): My question is again to the Treasurer. Does the Treasurer have a secondary preferred supplier for the SAHMRI proton therapy cancer unit?

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Treasurer, Minister for Defence and Space Industries, Minister for Police) (15:01): It's a good question. I don't have a preferred supplier. Part of the advice that we have sought has been around who the credible suppliers of proton therapy units globally are. There are some that are really well known and established and have delivered many of these. For example, I am advised that Hitachi is one of those. I think they are probably the company that has delivered the most of them.

Their current technology solution, I am advised, is not practical or suitable to fit into the space that has been constructed at the Australian Bragg Centre, but there are other suppliers that have delivered multiple units of these, are long established, well-credentialed and have a demonstrated capacity to deliver these units, as well as commission and support them through life, that we are advised are potentially able to fit within this space.

Our advice is that there is more than one of those suppliers and I think that is important, because if and when we get to the point of proceeding with the initiative, having had the commonwealth approval and funding to do so, that means that we should be able to have some sort of competitive tendering process to give further confidence that not only are we getting the right technological outcome that can be delivered but we will be doing it on a value basis for Australian taxpayers.