Legislative Council: Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Contents

Noarlunga Hospital

The Hon. J.A. DARLEY (14:43): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Leader of the Government, representing the Minister for Health, questions regarding Noarlunga Hospital.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.A. DARLEY: A public meeting regarding the Noarlunga Hospital was arranged for Monday 10 April. At that meeting, two resolutions were passed, and I have been asked by the organisers to put these on the public record. The first was:

We call on the Liberal Party Opposition to commit to expanding emergency hospital services at Noarlunga Hospital, should they win the next state election.

Resolution two was:

We call on the Liberal Party Opposition to commit to maintaining the Repat hospital given the ongoing need for this hospital's beds and outpatient services, should they win the next state election.

I understand that flyers advertising this public meeting were put up around the Noarlunga Hospital; however, they were removed by SA Health staff, who were not supportive of the meeting being held. I have also received information that staff were threatened against attending the meeting and were told that their social media accounts, including Facebook, would be monitored for material which indicated their support for retaining services at Noarlunga Hospital. My questions to the minister are as follows:

1. Can the minister advise if the personal social media accounts of staff have been or will be monitored by SA Health?

2. Can the minister advise why flyers for the public meeting were removed and staff discouraged from attending?

3. Notwithstanding the fact that a formal complaint is unlikely to be forthcoming for fear of retribution, will the minister investigate threats made against staff and provide a response to the chamber?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (14:45): I thank the honourable member for his questions; I will pass those questions on to the minister in another place and make sure a prompt reply is brought back.