Question Time

SA Health

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:19): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Health and Wellbeing regarding the health system.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: As members of the chamber will recall, a recent call to silence ambulance officers earned a swift rebuke from the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption, who said:

Although it is true to say that public officers should abide by the code of conduct applicable to their employment, it is unhelpful for senior public officers to invoke the name of ICAC in an attempt to control the behaviour of their staff.

We then saw respected Professor John Mendoza quit SA Health when he had to choose between staying silent or calling out major problems in the health system. Now, we see the chief executive of CALHN again cautioning staff against criticising the health system. My questions to the minister are:

1. Is there a culture of covering up problems and silencing critics in the health system?

2. Given reports from people like Professor John Mendoza that they couldn't access the minister when they worked in SA Health, how exactly can staff get action on problems they see in the system?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:21): I assure you that SA Health staff are very intelligent and they know how to access an email address and, to be frank, how to construct it. I often get communications from SA Health employees. So in spite of Professor Mendoza's comments that he couldn't get access to me, my office could find no record of a phone call or a request for a meeting.