House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-05-21 Daily Xml

Contents

Regional Health Services

The Hon. I.F. EVANS (Davenport) (14:33): My question is again to the health minister. Why won't the health minister guarantee that there will be no negative impact to regional health services as a result of South Australian Labor government cuts to the health budget? Why won't you guarantee that?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Health Industries) (14:33): I can make no guarantees, because Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey and members opposite—the members squawking like a flock of galahs—

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Health, yes it is true that the opposition is behaving badly, but I ask you to withdraw the reference to them as galahs, because it is always—always—unparliamentary to refer to a member as an animal or bird of any kind.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Sir, I will happily withdraw, but members opposite certainly were squawking. Mr Speaker, I can make no guarantees, because of last Tuesday night's decision to tear up the National Health Reform Agreement and to renege on national partnership agreements which have been entered into in good faith by the state of South Australia and the commonwealth government, agreements we expected to be honoured. I can simply make no guarantees about what this will mean for services, not only in country South Australia but in metropolitan South Australia. The member for Davenport can duck and weave, but the simple fact is that we need them to stand up to their counterparts in the commonwealth and to stand up for South Australia and put South Australia first.

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Health is now entering forbidden territory.

Mr Whetstone: Really?

The SPEAKER: The member for Chaffey is warned a second and final time.

The Hon. T.R. Kenyon: We've been trying to get you kicked out for years and it's not working!

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

Mr Gardner: Throw him out, sir.

The Hon. T.R. Kenyon: My apologies, sir.

The SPEAKER: There seems to be a lot of dobbing on both sides. The leader.