SA Health Staff

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT (14:52): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the minister representing the Minister for Health questions about the employment of SA Health staff.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT: I understand that in July a number of long-serving SA Health employees were issued with a letter from the Central Adelaide Local Health Network advising them that their positions have been identified as non-clinical support service positions and, as such, these positions will be provided by a company called Spotless at the location of the new Royal Adelaide Hospital. In one section of SA Pathology there are three workers, I understand, who identify as having a disability. I understand that all three of them were targeted and received this letter while, from the looks of it, none of their colleagues without disabilities received it. My questions to the minister are:

1. What provision has been made for people with disabilities to be employed through Spotless at the new Royal Adelaide Hospital?

2. Will SA Health employees have their employment benefits carried over to the new employer?

3. During the recent South Australian government 90-day campaign to employ more people with disabilities, how many were employed within SA Health?

4. Is there any agreement in place with Spotless to ensure workers from disadvantaged backgrounds, such as those who are long-term unemployed, those from a non-English-speaking background, Aboriginal South Australians and people with disabilities are employed at the new hospital?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (14:53): I thank the honourable member for her most important question in relation to SA Health staff. I undertake to take that question to the Minister for Health in the other place and seek a response on her behalf.