Modbury Hospital

The Hon. I. PNEVMATIKOS (14:50): The question that I asked hasn't been answered in terms of what date.

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:50): Are we committed? You said are we committed?

The Hon. I. PNEVMATIKOS: Well, I asked—

The Hon. K.J. Maher: Answer the question.

The PRESIDENT: Leader of the Opposition, I can't hear the Hon. Ms Pnevmatikos. She is seeking clarification.

The Hon. I. PNEVMATIKOS: There's two parts.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: I might take that as a supplementary.

The PRESIDENT: I am allowing supplementaries. Minister?

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Yes. So If I can take that as a supplementary.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.G. WADE: If you like, by way of supplementary, whatever. Let me answer it. The former government closed the high dependency unit at Modbury in 2016. Right up to the election, it vigorously opposed it and continues to do so in opposition, and the people of the north-east will not forget that at the next election. The government made it clear to the—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Allow the minister to answer.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: A point of order: Mr President, you asked for supplementaries to refer to the answers given. This was a very specific supplementary in relation to the answer about what date and the minister has not even come close to addressing the date after more than a minute.

The PRESIDENT: I've got the point. The ministers have leeway to answer the question. The minister has taken your point and as a courtesy to the Hon. Ms Pnevmatikos to answer her supplementary. Minister.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: As the government has repeatedly said in the media and elsewhere, the full development of Modbury Hospital is not scheduled to be finished until 2021, but we are looking at options to open the HDU earlier than that. I can assure you that—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Earlier than 2021.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Let's put it this way: it's before the next election and you guys were never going to open the HDU.

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD: A point of order, Mr President.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Ms Pnevmatikos!

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD: Mr President, I draw your attention to standing order 181, which reads in part that:

No Member shall converse aloud or make repeated interjections or other disturbance whilst any other Member is orderly debating…

The PRESIDENT: Thank you for the reminder. I am sure the opposition benches will take that on board, given you are such a senior member of the council. The Hon. Ms Pnevmatikos.