SA Ambulance Service

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (14:59): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Health and Wellbeing regarding ambulances.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: When questioned yesterday about the ICAC commissioner and the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment not taking further action on public comments by ambulance officers, the minister launched into an alarming tirade, yelling, and I quote, 'It's a breach of the law.' It was quite a disturbing rant. My questions to the minister are:

1. Has any ambulance officer been referred to SAPOL for investigation linked to their public comments about ramping?

2. Why is the minister throwing such vitriol at frontline health workers and mocking them under the protection of parliamentary privilege?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:00): I thank the honourable member for his question. My comments were clearly in relation to a breach of patient confidentiality, which is a breach of legislation. If the Labor Party wants to say that their union mates, the Ambulance Employees Association, and for that matter any member of the Ambulance Service, are free to ignore the law and breach patient confidentiality, I would ask them to think again.