Health Policy

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (14:24): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Health and Wellbeing.

Leave granted.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: In question time on Tuesday, the minister informed the chamber that he would not be taking advice from his agency. Now he has had a few days to reflect on his answers, can he advise which areas of health policy he knows better than his department and which areas of health policy he will listen to his department on?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:25): I am afraid that the honourable member is showing her apprentice status very clearly in that question, because if she bothered to read my answer, I did not say that I would not listen to my department. What I said was that I would not listen to my department alone. Under the repeated hectoring from the Leader of the Opposition—

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Excuse me, President.

The PRESIDENT: Let the minister answer in silence.

The Hon. K.J. Maher: I'm helping him because he doesn't remember what he said on Tuesday.

The PRESIDENT: Leader of the Opposition, you have not—

The Hon. K.J. Maher: I am being helpful, President.

The PRESIDENT: No, you're not being helpful; you're not helping me. Minister.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: I will continue to listen to a range of clinicians—clinicians within the department, within the professional organisations and within the private sector. The fact of the matter is that your former government, the party that you stand with, spent the last four years hand-picking the clinicians with which—

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Point of order, Mr President: similar to a point of order that was made yesterday by the Hon. Tammy Franks. When the minister is using the word 'your', he is referring to you, the Chair, and he should be directing his answer more clearly, sir.

The PRESIDENT: Thank you for your concern for me, Hon. Mr Hunter. Minister, please continue with your answer.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Thank you, Mr President, and thanks for your coaching. In relation to the honourable member's question, her government, in contrast with the intention of this government, the former Weatherill Labor government persistently only consulted the select clinicians within the Transforming Health framework. What I hear continually from clinicians is that they do not accept that closed shop, almost clan-like approach of the former Labor government, and they are very committed to an inclusive discussion.

I can assure you that I spent a lot of time talking to clinicians within the department and giving their advice due consideration, but I will not stop listening to comments from the professional associations, comments from the wider profession. We do not believe, like the Labor Party, that somehow government is some sort of deal between the Labor Party and the bureaucracy.