Public Health System

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (15:43): I rise today to speak about the Marshall Liberal government's continued investment and improvement of our public health system, a system that was dismantled and dysfunctional under Labor. The COVID-19 pandemic has put enormous strain on our health services and I am proud to say that, as part of the Marshall Liberal team, it has withstood that pressure and represents the gold standard globally.

The Marshall Liberal government's commitment to first-class health services and our efforts to undo the damage of Labor's disastrous Transforming Health policy has provided South Australia with a strong foundation to respond to the pandemic. Under the former Labor government, they cut beds, downgraded services at our hospitals and closed the Repat.

Transforming Health was predicated on the theory that you could transform the public health system by closing and downgrading hospitals, by centralising health services and ignoring other parts of the health system such as primary care. To fix the damage caused by Transforming Health, to support clinicians, other staff and management and to realise the potential of the South Australian health system will take time.

We have started the task of rebalancing health services towards investments in prevention, health promotion and primary health care. In December 2017, Labor's health minister, Peter Malinauskas, closed the Repatriation General Hospital, despite former Premier Mike Rann's pledge it would never ever be closed by a Labor government. You cannot trust a Labor government with our health system, not then and not now in the midst of a global pandemic. We scrapped the sale of the site and our government is investing in the Repat precinct as a vital part of South Australia's future health system.

Labor's recent announcements pledging $52.7 million for the Limestone Coast and $33 million for the Upper Spencer Gulf health systems might seem like a reasonable one, but those of us who live in regional communities across our state know that talk is cheap. We just need to look at Labor's history on health, particularly in our regions. Between 2014 and 2018, Labor spent a mere $14 million in total on regional health infrastructure. In comparison, the Marshall Liberal government has spent more than $70 million in its first three years. Let's think about that for a minute: that is over $23 million per year compared with Labor's $3.5 million per year.

In a landmark agreement with rural GPs, we are investing an estimated $188 million over two years to ensure we are attracting and retaining the best and brightest GPs to regional South Australia. The Marshall Liberal government is doing everything we can to ensure that the highest quality of care is available to all South Australians, no matter where they live.

We have completed the upgrade to the Murray Bridge emergency department as well as significant upgrades to a number of regional hospitals across the state. The Marshall Liberal government is upgrading our metropolitan hospitals, with significant improvements to Flinders Medical Centre, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Modbury Hospital and Lyell McEwin. The Marshall Liberal government is building a new Women's and Children's Hospital to provide holistic, world-class health care and facilities for babies, children, young people, women and their families. This commitment is in addition to upgrades to the existing hospital site.

We have committed more than $200 million to regional health infrastructure projects. That is more than double Labor's recent commitment. It includes projects such as the Mount Barker hospital emergency development upgrade, the Whyalla Hospital accident and emergency department redevelopment, the new Strathalbyn ambulance station and a new Barossa hospital.

The Marshall Liberal government recognises that a health system is about people. We have a strong plan and track record when it comes to making sure our services are staffed. We are building on our significant investment in the Ambulance Service with a further 51 FTE paramedics on top of the 74 FTEs that were announced in the state budget. We have ensured there is a stand-by workforce of up to 100 final year paramedic students to help transport patients through the pandemic. We spend more per capita in South Australia on our Ambulance Service than any other state or territory in Australia.

We have doubled the intake of graduate nurses and doctors into our public health system since the pandemic began, securing staffing levels and ensuring our health service is not overwhelmed as a result of the pandemic or any future challenges on the horizon. Actions speak louder than words. We have delivered and will continue to deliver for all South Australians. The pandemic has demonstrated how important our healthcare system is. It allows our economy to thrive and ensures we have one of the best standards of living in the world. South Australia cannot afford Labor to get their hands on health again.