COVID-19 Hospital Response

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (14:22): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing regarding health. Can the minister advise when the first of the additional COVID-19 beds that were announced this morning will be fully staffed and operational? Are the beds that were announced this morning temporary or permanent? Can the minister advise how long the beds are funded for?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:23): I thank the honourable member for her question. I would like to stress that this is part of a $123 million investment by the Marshall Liberal government. In fact, the beds within that $123 million investment have been rolling out for weeks. I will remind honourable members of the press conference that I think the Minister for Human Services and I were both part of a number of weeks ago. That's 30 beds that will give people with disabilities an opportunity to take the next step beyond their medical episode of care on to their lives beyond.

In terms of the particular initiatives that were announced this morning—and I thank the honourable member for giving me the opportunity to bring those to the attention of the house—there are three key elements. They were public hospital investments in Modbury Hospital, 46 beds which have both post-acute and subacute elements. The Modbury facility in particular is taking advantage of an opportunity that has been created by another great investment by the Marshall Liberal government, whereas under the former Minister for Health, the Hon. Jack Snelling, in 2014 I presume it was, the government was even reported to be considering closing the Modbury Hospital.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! I would like to hear the minister. Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The Hon. Clare Scriven asks me, 'Under what program was that?'

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order, leader!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: I'm happy to tell the Hon. Clare Scriven that it was under the Transforming Health program, another attempt to downgrade hospital services across metropolitan Adelaide. This government, in contrast, came in and is investing money to build a brand-new, ground floor palliative care service with gardens and private spaces. It is a massive improvement in the quality of services for people who are in the end of life journey. This opportunity is—

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: Point of order.

The PRESIDENT: Point of order. Minister, resume your seat.

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: Considering the minister highlighted yesterday that it was so important—

The PRESIDENT: What is your point of order?

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: The question was about the COVID-19 beds, not about your investments in Modbury Hospital.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: No, but the honourable member is—

The PRESIDENT: Just one moment, minister. The minister is answering the question. He has a large scope, I think, to answer that, and I am sure he will continue to do that.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Exactly right. The honourable member, I know, does have problems following lines of thought, so let me restate it for her. The Modbury Hospital—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Ms Bourke, order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: In spite of the downgrading of the Modbury Hospital under Labor's Transforming Health, this government was elected with a mandate to renew the Modbury Hospital—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Ms Bourke is out of order, so is the leader. The minister will continue, and he will be heard in silence.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: I was hoping for a better performance than yesterday. The Modbury Hospital investment under the Marshall Liberal government, part of undoing the damage of Transforming Health, involves having a palliative care service on the ground floor of that facility—

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

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Mr President, why should I not be given the chance to answer this question?

The PRESIDENT: Minister, resume your seat.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Point of order: the Hon. Emily Bourke brought up a point of order on relevance. At no point has the minister even mentioned or attempted to answer the question about COVID-19, not once. He is not choosing to answer the question in how he sees fit. He is not answering it—even close at all. There hasn't been even an attempt to have any nexus with the question.

The PRESIDENT: Order! The leader has made his point. The minister will continue his answer. He is coming to the end of his time, but I am sure he will at some stage, obviously, refer to COVID-19.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: I make a point that it is very difficult for me to answer a question in the allocated time when frivolous points of order continually disrupt my answer.

The PRESIDENT: Well, continue.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Certainly, the opposition is entitled to ask questions, but the government is entitled to give answers. If the opposition doesn't like the answers, they've just got to take their medicine. So let's take some more medicine. You were downgrading Modbury Hospital.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Sit down. Leader!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: This is chaotic. This is disruptive. How can I answer the question?

The PRESIDENT: Well, I certainly haven't downgraded Modbury. I think we are going to move on to the next question and that comes from the Hon. Dr Centofanti.