SA Pathology

The Hon. T.T. NGO (15:19): Thank you, Mr President. My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Will the minister rule out that complex blood tests and specimens will have to be flown interstate if the government privatises SA Pathology?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:20): My first response to the honourable member is to point out that there is a whole series of complex tests that are currently not able to be done within SA Pathology; they are already done in the private sector. The second thing I want to do is to challenge the presumption in the member's question that we have announced a privatisation of SA Pathology. That is palpably not true.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! If you want to ask those questions, you can ask them another time.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: What we have said is that SA Pathology will undergo an external review to identify opportunities that provide—

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: Point of order. I think maybe the minister misheard. The question did say, 'if the government privatises SA Pathology'. Will he rule out those tests going interstate?

The Hon. S.G. WADE: If that is the case, it is a hypothetical question, which I have no intention of answering.