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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-07-21 Daily Xml
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BREASTSCREEN SA

Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (15:22): My question is to the Minister for Health. In light of the minister's response to my question yesterday regarding cuts to breast cancer services and funding, can the house assume that the minister has not and will not rule out cuts to breast screening funding?

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (15:22): The question that the member for Morphett asked me yesterday was based on an assessment of funding options that was prepared within the BreastScreen SA branch of the health department. It was not something that I had contemplated or created or asked to be created.

It was a document that was produced within BreastScreen SA to work out what the options were for providing breast screening at the new Elizabeth GP Plus Centre. As in every area of government activity, when something is being contemplated you look at a range of options to work out the best way of doing something. That is what it was. It was not a schedule which related to any cost-cutting measures whatsoever. I can assure the house and the member that there will be no reductions in the amount of breast screening or the services provided at the Elizabeth GP Plus.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. HILL: That is absurd. I will not respond to an interjection, Madam Speaker, but I would invite—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. HILL: I am responding to the question that was put to me by the member. I am saying that this document was not about cost-cutting: it was about how to provide a service in the most cost-efficient way at the Elizabeth GP Plus, so I can guarantee that there will be no cuts to services for patients in the Elizabeth GP Plus who require breast screening services.

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. HILL: No, we're not. If you say that, that's a lie.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. HILL: You cannot say that. That is a lie.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.D. HILL: You are a liar if you say that.

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order, Madam Speaker: the minister is indulging in unparliamentary behaviour and I ask that he withdraw and apologise.

The SPEAKER: Minister.

The Hon. J.D. HILL: Madam Speaker, may I say that the Leader of the Opposition continued to interject when I was answering a question. She tried to create an impression that I was somehow saying there were going to be cuts to funding and I said to her, hypothetically, if she says that, she is telling a lie—that she is a liar if she says that.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order, Madam Speaker: the minister did indeed say, 'If you say that, you are a liar,' and then he went on to say—

The SPEAKER: No. I definitely—

Mr WILLIAMS: 'You are a liar, you are a liar, you are a liar.' That's what he said.

The SPEAKER: Order! Sit down. I definitely heard the minister say, 'You are a liar if,' and then he qualified it; so I do not uphold any of those points of order. The house will move on now to note grievances. The member for Hammond.

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