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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-10-28 Daily Xml
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ROYAL ADELAIDE HOSPITAL OBSTETRICS SERVICE

Ms THOMPSON (Reynell) (14:12): My question is to the Minister for Health.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Reynell.

Ms THOMPSON: How much will the opposition's new plan to set up an obstetrics service at the Royal Adelaide Hospital cost?

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (14:12): I thank the member for her question. I was most surprised this morning to learn that the opposition appears to have embarked on a new policy direction in that it will put an obstetrics service at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. The evidence of this, of course, came out of the lips of the Leader of the Opposition himself. I am told that the Leader of the Opposition on Radio FIVEaa this morning—and members can check the tape—was speaking to a well-known caller to FIVEaa, a woman called Rosa. I think the Premier knows Rosa well.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I have two points of order. I will take that of the member for Schubert first.

Mr VENNING: Sir, the question is out of order, because it is hypothetical, and it is opposition policy, which has nothing to do with the government.

The SPEAKER: No; it is not hypothetical. The member for MacKillop.

Mr WILLIAMS: I was wondering, sir, what responsibility the Minister for Health has to the house on a matter that the Leader of the Opposition said in jest on a radio station this morning.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I did not hear the interview. The question was about issues of policy in the health area.

Mr WILLIAMS: Not the government policy, sir. Nothing to do with government policy.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! As I understood the question, it related to policy in the health portfolio, and the Minister for Health obviously has responsibility to the chamber for matters in his portfolio. The Minister for Health.

The Hon. J.D. HILL: It is interesting to see the opposition running away from this latest policy initiative, because this morning on Radio FIVEaa, the Leader of the Opposition said to caller Rosa that if the Royal Adelaide Hospital were patched up, her daughter 'will be in the next room having her first child'. This is a breakthrough policy initiative because, as most members would know, there are currently no obstetrics services at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. I checked to find out when the Royal Adelaide Hospital had an obstetrics service and have been told that, as far as records go, there has never been a dedicated obstetrics service at that hospital. So, this breakthrough policy would cost an enormous sum of money which would, of course, have to be added to the additional funds that the opposition would spend in their patch-up job of the Royal Adelaide Hospital—compared to what the government would do, which is build a new hospital.

So, how much would it cost to put an obstetrics service at the Royal Adelaide Hospital? Well, I can certainly ask Treasury to provide a more detailed case for the Leader of the Opposition as he goes about costing his policy promises, but the advice I have is that it would cost about $500 million. Of course, it would probably mean closing down the Women's and Children's Hospital at North Adelaide. I do not know if that is part of the Leader of the Opposition's policies as well, but it would be interesting if he could tell the public of South Australia what he is trying to say or what he is doing.

When I raised this issue the opposition said that it was a joke. That demonstrates that the Leader of the Opposition will say anything to anyone, including a joke caller on FIVEaa. He makes policy on the run. He has no idea about the health system and he is ignorant of the services provided at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. He slipped up today and is trying to cover his backside by pretending it was a joke.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: When everyone is ready I will call the Leader of the Opposition.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Are we ready? The Leader of the Opposition.

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