Modbury Hospital

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (15:09): I have a supplementary question arising from the answer. I ask the minister to be very careful how he answers this. He has already apologised for misleading this chamber last week.

The PRESIDENT: Minister, supplementaries do not allow you to insert a warning.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: My question is: has the minister received any advice from his department that a stand-alone high dependency unit without an intensive care unit would compromise patient safety? Has he received any such advice from his department?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:09): I am more than happy to indicate to the Legislative Council that there was advice from the department that raised concerns about patient safety in relation to an HDU. To be frank, I thought I said that last week. The fact of the matter is that the department is one source of advice that I take and, to be frank, I have also found the department in itself is not a monolithic source of advice. I will continue to take the range of advice within the department and the range of advice within the community and make what I think are decisions in the best interests of the people of South Australia.

What I will also do is take into account the views of South Australians who are actually the recipients of these services. The arrogance of the former Labor government—thinking that they could close three hospitals, downgrade three emergency departments, breach commitments to 'never ever' close the Repat and think they could somehow hold their heads high in relation to health. That is the tragedy of the former Labor government: they were so deaf, they couldn't even hear their own people speak.