Karoonda and District Soldiers' Memorial Hospital

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (14:56): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing regarding health:

1. Given Friday's announcement that the emergency department at the Karoonda and District Soldiers' Memorial Hospital would be shut until further notice, how long will locals in the Murray Mallee be without an emergency department?

2. What effect has the government's redundancy program for nurses had on the availability of nurses for country health?

3. How will this affect local ambulance services that may be needed to complete a round trip of 150 kilometres to reach another emergency department?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:57): I am really surprised that the Labor Party is persisting in misinformation in terms of the government's record. The honourable member's question explicitly links service disruptions at Karoonda to so-called job cuts. I am surprised that the honourable member is following that line of action because the—

The Hon. J.E. Hanson interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Hanson will remain silent.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —leader in the other place has already been required to withdraw a statement he made in relation to the Liberal Party's health workforce plans. I would have thought they would be a bit more careful about slinging mud around this government's record, and how dare they! Since this government was elected, we have increased the health workforce—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —by 2½ thousand people—2½ thousand people.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: In the last year alone, in the last year, the Auditor-General's Report shows we have increased the workforce by 1,000—2½ thousand since we came to government, a thousand in the last year alone. But, no, it doesn't stop there.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: It doesn't stop there.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Wortley is out of order.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: In this financial year—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —we've got three of our metropolitan local health networks out recruiting for I think about 350, 370, additional workers. In the context of the government's COVID-ready plan, we are engaging I think between 300 and 350 health professionals, and in a historic investment in the future health workforce of this state, to my understanding, for the first time in the state's history we are offering every nurse graduate who wants a job with SA Health to get a job with SA Health. The former Labor government let half of those graduates—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —wander off.

The PRESIDENT: The minister will resume his seat. Point of order, the Hon. Mr Hanson.

The Hon. J.E. HANSON: I would like you to direct him back to the question, which was about the Murray Mallee and the Karoonda and District Soldiers' Memorial Hospital.

The PRESIDENT: The member will resume his seat.

The Hon. J.E. HANSON: It is about regional health, Mr President.

The PRESIDENT: The member will resume his seat.

The Hon. J.E. HANSON: He is ignoring the question—

The PRESIDENT: The member will resume his seat.

The Hon. J.E. HANSON: —as usual.

The PRESIDENT: Order! Before the minister continues, the minister referred to Karoonda initially in his answer; he is now responding to the broader part of the question, which the honourable member included, so the minister will continue.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Thank you, Mr President, indeed I am, because those 1,200 nurse graduates all over Adelaide—

The PRESIDENT: Order! The minister won't point.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Sorry, I was gesticulating with excitement because I am very proud to be part of a government that is investing in the health workforce of the future—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —and those 1,200 nurses and midwives will be working right across the state.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.P. Wortley interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Wortley is out of order, as is the Hon. Mr Hanson.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Under the previous government, we inherited—

The Hon. J.E. Hanson interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —a workforce that was facing significant challenges of ageing.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Labor Party, the opposition, Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition, have asked a question. They might give the minister the courtesy of answering it in silence.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Those 1,200 nurse graduates, nursing and midwifery graduates, will be available to bolster the health workforce right across the state. Every hospital in South Australia will benefit from this generational review in the health workforce.