HANSARD
SITTING CALENDAR
SEARCH
LIVE BROADCAST
Hansard Dynamic Subject Index
House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-04-10 Daily Xml
Contents
Pdf Xml

MARJORIE JACKSON-NELSON HOSPITAL

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Leader of the Opposition) (14:42): My question is to the Premier. Why is he claiming that the decision that the people of South Australia will face at the next election is a choice between a new hospital or a new football stadium when he knows the real choice they will face is between a new hospital at City West or a new hospital at the RAH site and a new stadium? With your leave, sir, and in light of the Premier's earlier answer to a question, I will explain. The document titled A Liberal Vision and Master Plan for Adelaide, released in February, three months ago, says on page 5:

The RAH on its current site provides the centrepiece for our health and research precinct...The plan for the Marjorie Jackson-Nelson hospital must be put to an election.

The document continues:

The new state Liberals believe the people should decide in March 2010 whether they want the Royal Adelaide Hospital bulldozed—

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Sir, I have a point of order. Once again, it is not explaining the question. The Leader of the Opposition is making a speech.

The SPEAKER: I do not uphold the point of order. I think the leader is trying to explain a party political position. I do not uphold the point of order, but I remind members that an explanation is not an excuse for a speech. They need to keep their explanations brief. The Leader of the Opposition.

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: Thank you, sir. The document continues:

The new state Liberals believe the people should decide in March 2010 whether they want the Royal Adelaide Hospital bulldozed or rebuilt into a hospital which we can be proud of at a saving, according to the state Labor government's own figures, of $500 million. Any complex and expensive PPP financing deal should not be signed before the next election. There are far more exciting uses for this precinct.

Importantly, on the separate issue of a stadium, the Liberal master plan on page 7 states—

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I have a point of order, sir. The Premier is not responsible for Liberal Party policy. The last three minutes have been all about what the Liberal Party will do. Clearly, the Leader of the Opposition is now debating.

The SPEAKER: Order! The question was about statements of the Premier regarding government policy in comparison with opposition policy. I have given the Leader of the Opposition a fair go but he does need to wind up his explanation.

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: Thank you, sir. The document states:

Adelaide must have a world class stadium. It must either be—

The Hon. K.O. Foley interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: —a completely refurbished, expanded and rebuilt AAMI Stadium at West Lakes or a new stadium that meets the needs of the Australian Football League, soccer, rugby and other sports at an international level.

Adelaide Oval needs to be considered. You should have read the document!

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (14:46): The Leader of the Opposition seems to be confused. He wants me to stand by his policy. How can you stand by a policy when in relation to the hospital he starts out by saying that it has to be at the site at the railyards? Let us go back. He said that the new hospital has to be at the railyards, then it was shifted back to the present site of the RAH, then to the railyards, then down to Bowden—the very interesting site down there—then back to the RAH site. This man of action laid down his action plan (which was celebrated on the front page of the newspaper) and this morning he said, 'We have to bite the bullet within the next 20 years.' How can anyone take the Leader of the Opposition seriously? The Liberals' plan is a hospital on wheels, being towed around like a giant caravan, depending on the audience to whom he is speaking.

As for the stadium, he was going to bite the bullet with resolve. How could you have a brand new stadium for the World Cup if it is not to be built until after the World Cup? The World Cup is scheduled for 2018. He said that is why we needed a new stadium, yet on Matt Abraham's show this morning he said, 'We have to bite the bullet within 20 years.' It is extraordinary.

So we have a mobile hospital and a stadium on the never, never. That is the difference. The Leader of the Opposition cannot read a balance sheet and he tries to cite policy to us. The fact is that the policy changes day by day. It reminds me of the Liberals' action plan on water. We must not forget the Liberals' water plan at the 2006 election. What was their action plan for water security for Adelaide? The Liberal Party said that it would develop a water plan by 2009. That is the difference. We are not waiting until the next election or 20 years. We are about action, not words. We are about a plan, not a pipedream.

PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS
MEMBERS
GET INVOLVED
ABOUT PARLIAMENT
VISIT
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
CONTACT