Legislative Council: Thursday, February 20, 2020

Contents

Women's and Children's Hospital

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (14:40): I have a supplementary arising from the answer: are there any circumstances in which the Women's and Children's Hospital will not go ahead?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:41): This government is committed to delivering on its promises. I can think of no circumstance in which this government would break its promise to deliver a new Women's and Children's Hospital at the Royal Adelaide Hospital precinct. Let's think about the audacity of the Labor opposition to come in here and question the integrity of our commitments when they were the government that—and I think it was October 2013; quite a long time ago—promised to deliver a new Women's and Children's Hospital, and then they went on and broke that promise. Let's think about what they were going to do. They wanted a children's hospital to be marooned on the North Adelaide precinct for an indefinite period, while the women's hospital only was going to be built on the North Terrace site. What an abomination! An institution that at 140 years—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Continue.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Thanks, Mr President. This is a party that broke a promise, was promising to the people of South Australia at the last election: vote for a Labor government and we will strand the children of South Australia on the North Adelaide site for an indefinite period and we will separate—let's be clear about this: women who are involved in acute episodes in relation to childbirth were going to be separated from their children. This government is very proud that the people of South Australia put their trust in the Marshall Liberal government so we could deliver the care that they need.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Just before you ask your further supplementary question, we will listen to it in silence, please. The Hon. Ms Bourke, do you have a supplementary?