Lyell McEwin Hospital

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (14:57): Supplementary: why has the minister decided to allow the Department of Health to allocate taxpayer funds on this advertising campaign rather than investing them in front-line services, particularly given that the demand for services at the Lyell McEwin is always very high, largely due to the government's long neglect of Modbury Hospital?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse) (14:57): The honourable member has raised the issue of public investment in the Modbury Hospital. I know he sits next to the Hon. Rob Lucas, and I am not privy to the conversations that he has with his parliamentary colleague that he sits next to, but if I hazard a guess, if he took the opportunity in a quiet moment to ask the Hon. Mr Lucas what he thinks about a public investment in the Modbury Hospital, we know what the answer would be: sell it off. They are all about privatisation.

We have a very different view, and there is a legitimate need for the South Australian public to be aware of what their taxpayer dollars are doing. We believe that expending taxpayer dollars on public healthcare services and high-quality public healthcare infrastructure is a worthwhile investment, and it is important they know about it so as to not be undermined by the misinformation constantly spread by those on the opposite side of the chamber who have only one policy when it comes to public health in this state: sell it off.