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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
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HEALTH AND HOSPITAL CARE

Mrs VLAHOS (Taylor) (14:34): My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Can the minister please update the house on the state Labor government's transformation of health and hospital care in South Australia?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health and Ageing, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (14:34): The government has caring about health and hospital care for all South Australians at its core. The government has made health a priority from its first day in office and continues to make it a priority every day to better serve South Australia. We are modernising every metropolitan public hospital in Adelaide and we have rebuilt our major country hospitals. We are giving people better care—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader is called to order.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: We are giving people better care in modern facilities closer to where they live. Since 2002, we have committed to over $3 billion in these improvements, in addition, of course, to $2.1 billion for the new Royal Adelaide Hospital. The government has put more nurses, more midwives, more doctors and more allied health professionals into our hospitals than ever before and we are investing in Australia's best ambulance service with the best qualified paramedics in the nation. That means more attention for our sick kids, more elective surgery performed, faster visits to our EDs and better response times in emergencies.

Since reliable data was available in 2004, we have improved ED waiting times by 41 per cent. We are very proud of those achievements, but we are not going to rest on those achievements. We do this because it is in our DNA, and we believe that South Australian families deserve the best hospitals in Australia, and that is what we are delivering. We are building Australia's best and most advanced public hospital—the new Royal Adelaide Hospital—and we are immensely proud of that investment.

Along with Australia's most advanced public hospital, the state will have the biggest health and biomedical research precinct in the Southern Hemisphere, and that is an investment that will bring new jobs and industries and new cures for diseases right here in South Australia. What do those across the chamber think about better hospitals and better health care? They oppose it—every step of the way those across the chamber oppose providing better health care for South Australians.

Mrs REDMOND: Point of order, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: A point of order from the member for Heysen.

Mrs REDMOND: Surely the minister has now strayed into debate in discussing what 'those across the chamber' might think about any topic.

The SPEAKER: The minister is, of course, not responsible for the opposition's policy on health care, and within those constraints I invite the Minister for Health to continue.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Just the other week the Premier announced a bold plan to build a new world-class Women's and Children's Hospital co-located with the new Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: This will bring better care for our mothers, children and babies. It will mean that no longer will a mum have to leave her baby to go to an adult hospital if complications arise. It will mean that they will have the best possible care right there on one site for generations to come. The AMA supports it, the nurses federation supports it, the ambos support it—

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Heysen is warned for the first time.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: —and consumers and carers support it. Healthcare professionals have told us that this is the right thing to do and in the right time frame. We will involve them at every step of the way to make sure we get it right.

Mr Gardner interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Morialta is called to order.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: And what do our opponents say? Well, they are not really sure. They will have a look at it sometime down the track—

Mrs REDMOND: Point of order, Mr Speaker—

The SPEAKER: Yes, the Minister for Health is defying my ruling. I call him to order.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: I make the point that it is a piece of information that the shadow minister for health—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I did not withdraw the minister's leave to answer. I asked him to obey my ruling and now I am sitting here waiting to see if he will, and we haven't found out yet. So the deputy leader's point of order is premature.

Ms Chapman: I haven't raised a point of order yet.

The SPEAKER: Then why are you rising in your place?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Minister for Health.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Of the Women's and Children's Hospital, the shadow minister for health said it 'should be a goal'. Well, this government has more than goals. In contrast, we have clear achievements and clear plans for health care for future generations of families. It is fortunate that we do because certain others have no plan other than to oppose. The shadow minister for health, in the other place, thinks he can coast along, tweeting late at night about budget figures and staffers' salaries and great big conspiracies—

Mr PISONI: Point of order, sir—

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: —about what I or the Minister for Transport might be up to—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley, a point of order.

Mr PISONI: The minister is straying into debate and—

The SPEAKER: Yes, I think he is, I think you're right, member for Unley, and we shall hear no more from the Minister for Health—at least for a while.

Dr McFETRIDGE: A supplementary question, sir.

The SPEAKER: A supplementary question, member for Morphett.

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