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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-06-17 Daily Xml
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COUNTRY HEALTH CARE PLAN

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:49): My question is to the Minister for the River Murray. Does the minister support the government's Country Health Care Plan, published last Thursday, or does she support her party's state president in his opposition to the downgrading of 43 country hospitals? Yesterday, Mr Wilbur Klein, President of the South Australian National Party, said:

The health and wellbeing of many country people will be put at risk, and the very sustainability of these communities will also be put at risk.

He went on to say:

We don't need icon hospitals with fancy signage, we just want simple quality health services made available to all people and their families.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (14:50): Let me put this to the opposition: if it were to ask me, as a Labor—

Ms CHAPMAN: On a point of order, the question has been asked. It is not open to the government to ask questions of the opposition.

The SPEAKER: I will listen to what the Minister for Health has to say.

The Hon. J.D. HILL: I was answering her question by way of analogy. I was saying: if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition were to ask me a question about the River Murray as a Labor Party member, I would not stand up to answer the question: the Minister for the River Murray would, because she is responsible for that, as I am responsible for health. However, once again the deputy leader asks tricky political questions, not questions that go to the substance, because she does not care about the substance.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: I am happy to answer the substance of this question. The Country Health Care Plan, which I put out recently, will deliver improved health outcomes to country people in South Australia.

Mr Williams interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. HILL: The member for MacKillop says that that is not believable. I have been reading the country press, and it is quite surprising to me how much support I am actually getting in country South Australia for the Country Health Care Plan, including support from people in his electorate.

The Country Health Care Plan will do three substantial things for people in country South Australia. First, it will maintain the existing network of emergency services. It will not take away emergency services. In fact, through the development of the State Retrieval Plan—

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for MacKillop will come to order.

The Hon. J.D. HILL: The member's assertion is both wrong and misleading. The doctors will stay because we are providing them with a better network of health services to work within. There will be the existing arrangements—

Mr Venning: You are gross.

The SPEAKER: The member for Schubert will contain himself.

The Hon. J.D. HILL: I would not call people gross if I had your dimensions, member for Schubert. If you want to be offensive, Ivan, come across to me and be offensive to my face.

Mr Venning interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, the member for Schubert!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: I tried to do you a favour last week, Ivan.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. HILL: He asked me to do that. It is exactly what he asked me to do. The member for Schubert—

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: On a point of order, the deputy leader is a stickler for standing orders. Perhaps she could stop interjecting for 60 seconds; let's count them.

The SPEAKER: Order! All members will stop interjecting on both sides of the house. The Minister for Health.

The Hon. J.D. HILL: I will return to the substance of the question. There are three parts to the Country Health Care Plan which will significantly benefit people in country health. First, the emergency services arrangements will stay in place and be strengthened through the rollout of the State Retrieval Plan, which will ensure better coordination between the major trauma hospitals in the city and the emergency provision in the country.

Secondly, a lot more primary health care services will be provided to country South Australia. This is absolutely essential, because all the indicators demonstrate that people in country South Australia do not have the same basic health provision and their circumstances are worse, particularly in relation to smoking (6 per cent more people in country South Australia smoke) and particularly as they relate to a whole range of chronic diseases. So, more primary health care is needed, and it will be delivered.

Thirdly, more acute services will be provided in country South Australia through the network arrangements we are putting in place. In fact, 85 per cent of country South Australians will have better hospital services within 60 minutes of where they live.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: They don't like the facts. I am happy to debate the facts, but you cannot dispute them. You cannot dispute the fact that, under our provisions, 96 per cent of people will have better health services and better acute services within 90 minutes of where they live.

The Hon. R.G. Kerin: Is it 60 or 90?

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. HILL: It is nice to hear from the member for Frome. I said: 85 per cent of people will have better health services within 60 minutes of where they live, and 96 per cent will have better health services within 90 minutes of where they live. So, both facts are true and are complementary, one with the other.

The Hon. M.J. Atkinson interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. HILL: Thank you very much for your pedantry. The Country Health Care Plan is now the subject of consultation, and I look forward to the vigorous and robust debate that will no doubt occur as we go through the discussions about the plan. But make no mistake: if people in major centres want better health services, we have to implement this plan. People in the smaller communities will have services maintained at the level that we can provide them given the arrangements that we have in place with existing doctors and our commitment to ensuring safety and quality right across country South Australia. Our plan is about improving country health services, not making them worse. Of course, that does not suit the politics of the other side, so they will make up stories about what we are planning to do.

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