Country Health

The Hon. S.G. WADE (15:20): Supplementary: in the light of the minister's assertion that the government has committed to Country Health, how does he explain the fact that in the most recent budget the government could find $900 million for capital works in metropolitan hospitals but not one dollar for a country hospital?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse) (15:20): Infrastructure upgrades happen in stages, and we have been upgrading the infrastructure in the regions throughout the life of this government. We remain utterly committed to it. Now, of course, it's time to commit to our suburban hospitals. We have built a brand-new quaternary hospital that doesn't just service metropolitan Adelaide, but also services the whole state. As I have gone around the new Royal Adelaide Hospital—which, of course, those opposite would never have had built—I can't tell you how often, when I have been speaking to patients, that I meet patients who come from regional areas and are very grateful for the fact that they are now in brand-new accommodation in the form of a quaternary hospital.

We have invested in the regions; we have invested in a brand-new quaternary hospital within the CBD; and now we are in the business of upgrading our suburban hospitals. We deal with these things in stages, and we want to make sure no-one is left behind. The Liberal Party would be leaving everybody behind. The Liberal Party would have people stuck in age-old, archaic, run down, not fit for purpose facilities. We know that. We know what their position is in respect to public health care: sell it where you can. That's the policy and ideology that underpins Liberal Party policy. We saw it with the Modbury Hospital—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: —and I am sure that every one of those members opposite, including the shadow health spokesperson, would never have been party to, or ever have contemplated, doing such a safe thing with The QEH. I am sure of it. I am sure they wouldn't have made that mistake. It would be astonishing if they did. Wouldn't it be astonishing if there is ever any suggestion that the shadow health spokesperson might have been linked to contemplation around the sale of The QEH? If that had come out, it would have been extraordinary, but we know in respect of Modbury that their record stands clear. They sold the Modbury Hospital and they believe in privatisation when it comes to public health care, but we don't.

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE: Point of order on factuality: no government has sold the Modbury Hospital.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Time has expired.