Country Health

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (15:16): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing regarding health. What does the minister have to say to his Liberal Party colleague the member for MacKillop, who enthusiastically responded to Labor's commitments for additional country health spending by saying, 'I'd like to see better medical infrastructure in the regions than we're currently seeing', and, 'I'd welcome [the funding]'?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:17): I must admit, I haven't read all the news out this morning, but—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: My understanding of what the Leader of the Opposition has said is that the $600 million he says we are spending on the arena—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Order on both sides! The Hon. Mr Wortley has asked a question. I presume he—

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order, leader! I presume the Hon. Mr Wortley would like to listen to the answer.

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order, leader!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Apparently, the member for—

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —the Leader of the Opposition in the other place is talking about $100 million going into health. As the Treasurer has pointed out, in the next two years there is $10 million allocated to that project. So let's look at what this government has done in the last four years. In the last four years, in relation to country capital works, we inherited—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —a former Labor government capital works backlog of more than $100 million.

The Hon. E.S. Bourke interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: From opposition, we promised a $150 million investment program over 10 years.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The deputy leader and the Hon. Ms Bourke will cease interjecting, as will the leader!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Three years in, we are ahead of schedule. We have invested $40 million. But we are going beyond those promises. The Marshall Liberal government, in partnership with the federal government, has announced a series of standalone capital works projects, investments in country hospitals totalling almost $100 million—not one hundred million promises in the distant future. This is money that the state government is investing in aged care in Strathalbyn and Snowtown; emergency departments in Gawler, Victor Harbor, Whyalla, Mount Barker and Murray Bridge; renal services in Whyalla and Mount Gambier; an MRI for the Riverland; ambulance stations for Port Augusta and Strathalbyn—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —and more than $4 million for volunteer—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —ambulance upgrades. So let's compare that with the record of the former Labor government. In the last four years of Labor's term—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order, the Hon. Mr Hanson!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —they spent $14 million on country capital works. Fourteen divided by four is about—I don't know; I am not a treasurer.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: What this government has spent in three years—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Hanson will cease shouting across the chamber.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Because he is embarrassed to hear the truth of an appalling government.

The PRESIDENT: And the minister will cease pointing.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: I don't think that's the worst offence that happens in this chamber.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Point of order: is it within the standing orders for a member to be speaking when you are on your feet, sir?

The PRESIDENT: I would have a look at that one, Leader of the Opposition. Has the minister concluded his answer?

The Hon. S.G. WADE: I haven't, sir, because I have been asked a question.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: I have been asked a question and I think the council deserves to be informed. So let's look at it. What so offended the Hon. Mr Hanson was that in the last four years of Labor's term they spent a mere $14 million on country capital works.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Point of order.

The PRESIDENT: Order! Resume your seat. The Leader of the Opposition.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: A point of clarification: ought the minister continue pointing at people in the chamber?

The PRESIDENT: The minister, I am sure, is going to conclude his answer fairly soon.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: In the last four years of Labor's term they spent a paltry $14 million on country capital works.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: In the first three years of the Marshall government, we have already spent $60 million.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Point of order.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: We have outspent them four to one.

The PRESIDENT: Resume your seat, minister. The point of order?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: The minister has been going on that long that question time has finished. It seems that he is not actually answering the question but still trying to continue.

The PRESIDENT: Resume your seat. The minister started his answer with two minutes and 16 seconds to go. I suspect we have been a minute since the numbers in front of me said 00:00. I am sure the minister will conclude his answer soon.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: I will indeed and I do apologise to the opposition for causing them such embarrassment. It is a meagre record that you have every right to be ashamed of.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: Point of order.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Point of order, the Hon. Ms Franks.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: I draw your attention to standing order 199 and I ask that you rule whether or not you have control of this council.

The PRESIDENT: I will ask you to repeat that because I didn't hear most of it because of the front bench.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: Which emphasises my point of order. Under standing order 199 the President must maintain the order of the council. I draw your attention to standing order 199 and I ask you to rule whether you have control of this council.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Ms Franks, the demeanour of this council is of great interest to me and I think members have observed that since I have been in the chair. I think this works on both sides of this chamber, on all sides of this chamber, as to the way in which we operate and I think generally, having watched other places in Canberra very recently, the demeanour of this place is far better than most; however, there are times when I think people on both sides and throughout the chamber need to recognise that we can all work on that to make it better.

I was very generous in allowing this to continue after the time had expired. I think there has been some reference here to time limits on questions. There has never been any discussion with this President about any time limits, but I keep a close eye on that and will continue to do so.