Women's and Children's Hospital

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (14:56): Further supplementary: are any further delays to other major capital works exacerbating the construction of the Women's and Children's Hospital and the crisis that currently faces it?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:57): One of the major challenges the Women's and Children's Hospital faces is being left in a facility that the former government had said was going to be rebuilt on a new site years ago—absolutely years ago. If the—

The Hon. K.J. Maher: So the minister said it was going to be rebuilt years ago? You are talking about yourself here, Wadey. Two years on.

The PRESIDENT: The honourable Leader of the Opposition, do you want to answer the Hon. Mr Hanson's question?

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hanson has asked a question of the minister—

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Sit down! Minister, please conclude your answer, or have you concluded?

The Hon. S.G. WADE: In relation to the honourable member's question about delay and the problems at the Women's and Children's Hospital, the delay started under the former Labor government. If they had stuck with their original commitment to relocate the Women's and Children's Hospital and if they hadn't abandoned that promise and decided they were going to leave the children's hospital stranded in North Adelaide, we would be a lot further down the track. What I can say in relation to the honourable member's question is that this government does appreciate the neglect of your government and that is why we are investing $50 million in sustaining the facilities at the Women's and Children's Hospital in the meantime.