SA Health

The Hon. C. BONAROS (14:33): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Health and Wellbeing a question about an independent judicial review into SA Health.

Leave granted.

The Hon. C. BONAROS: Only yesterday, Oakden whistleblower Stewart Johnston and chemotherapy bungle victim Andrew Knox called for an independent judicial review into the crisis gripping our health system, like the one our ICAC commissioner wants to undertake if he is able at some point to secure $2 million from this government.

This morning on radio, the Premier pointed to the massive political upside such an inquiry would have. I quote:

…there would be a massive political win for the Liberal Party to have a Royal Commission into the health system. I think it would uncover all sorts of atrocities which existed under the previous Government. But how does that serve anybody? The reality is, the people of South Australia elected us to fix the health system, not to deliberate what occurred five, ten, fifteen years ago. We've got to get on and I'm 100% convinced, convinced that we are on that track.

My question to the minister is: do you agree with the Premier in politicising such a crucial issue when patients' lives are at stake, and how can you expect the public to have any confidence in this government's plans to fix the public health system when there is no way of knowing where all the problems exist because of the continued refusal to hold an independent judicial review?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:35): I fundamentally disagree with the honourable member that the Premier was politicising the issue; in fact, he was doing exactly the reverse. What he was saying was, 'If I was acting as a politician rather than a statesman, I would go for it. I would have a royal commission to expose the 16 years of mismanagement of Labor.' And, let's be clear, last week Mr Johnston wanted us to look at things like chemotherapy dosing, EPAS, the 16 years of Labor mismanagement. This week, Mr Johnston wants us to also roll in their disastrous treatment of aged care and child protection. I appreciate—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: You can tell, the louder the Hon. Mr Hunter gets the more embarrassed you know he is about the record that he's got to try to stand behind. In fact, that's the only hint that the Hon. Ian Hunter has any morsels of morals left because occasionally, almost like a knee-jerk reaction, he starts ramping up as soon as we start laying bare the disasters of the last 16 years. So, I would like to congratulate the Hon. Ian Hunter on showing some morality.

In relation to politicising, I strongly am of the view that what the Premier was saying is that this government is not a government that's going to play political games, wasting time on a royal commission that would only serve to write the history books, which, I am afraid, we are going to leave for someone else. We want to write the future. That is why we are committed to a process which looks forward.

If I could also take point with the Hon. Connie Bonaros's linking of what the Hon. Bruce Lander is proposing and what the advocates, Mr Johnston and Mr Knox, are proposing. The Hon. Bruce Lander is suggesting an evaluation, as I understand it, under the ICAC Act. He suggests that it might have a budget of $2 million. Mr Johnston and Mr Knox, particularly Mr Johnston, are wanting a full royal commission.

In fact, I might distinguish between what I understand the primary proposals of the two advocates are. Mr Johnston would like to have a full royal commission which doesn't stop at health but also looks at things like aged care and chemotherapy dosing. Mr Knox, as I understand it, is convinced, I understand, particularly influenced by the contribution of Hon. Rob Lucas. He has accepted that a royal commission would take too long and cost too much and would delay reform. He is instead suggesting that we should have a process that has judicial oversight.

What I would say, with all due respect to Mr Knox, is that that's exactly what we've got. The ICAC commissioner is a former judge. He has an ICAC commission which is basically a standing royal commission. The work that's going to be done by government in response to his report, the report that was released last week, will of course be overseen by the ICAC commissioner. That's why the budget will continue to provide him $15 million a year going forward.