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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-11-07 Daily Xml
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Central Adelaide Local Health Network

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (14:23): My question again is to the Premier. In the tender document issued by the government that he referred to, what does the government mean by the reconfiguration of the bed base at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:23): I am very happy to set up a meeting for the shadow minister with the minister's office to go through the details of the scope of the work.

Mr Brown interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Playford is warned.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I don't have the scope of work in front of me.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: It's a bit rich, isn't it?

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: It's a bit rich to ask about bed numbers—

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —because bed numbers are very important to the Liberal government. We have been putting beds back into the health system since we started. Since the shadow minister has asked about bed numbers, I think it's really important to understand why we are where we are. The level of focus on the emergency departments in South Australia at the moment is for one reason and one reason only and that is because the previous government, under their failed policy of Transforming Health, which the Auditor-General pointed out—

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: There is a point of order by the member for West Torrens.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: This is now debate.

The SPEAKER: Debate.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: This is now debate, sir.

The SPEAKER: Premier, please be seated for one moment. The way I called it, the question was about a tender document and some kind of alleged reconfiguration. I think that at the moment the Premier is giving some preamble and background information. I then expect him to return to the substance of the question, but I will listen carefully and I ask that he be heard in silence, please.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: As I said, I would like to hear this answer, please.

Mr Duluk interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Waite is warned.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: It's the first time I have heard the deputy leader speak for a long while and I am looking forward to some questions on TAFE. When are the questions on TAFE coming?

The SPEAKER: Premier—

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: We have been waiting.

The SPEAKER: Premier, I ask that—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Yes, yes. I ask the Premier to please return to the substance of the question.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Yes, sir.

The SPEAKER: Thank you.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: The question was all about bed numbers and they are very important to the Liberal Party in South Australia. By contrast, they were not important to those opposite and that is why they pushed ahead with Transforming Health. What was Transforming Health all about? Rationalising the number of beds in South Australia—

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order: debate.

The SPEAKER: I have a point of order.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and driving people—

The SPEAKER: Member for West Torrens, I have the point of order.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Thank you, sir.

The SPEAKER: I have the point of order for debate. As I said, the question was about a tender document and reconfiguration.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Premier is giving some background information and I expect him to return to the substance of the question, but I expect members on my left and right to give the Premier the respect of answering the question.

The Hon. T.J. Whetstone: You are such hypocrites. You are hypocrites.

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Primary Industries is warned for a second and final time. Premier.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I would like to provide the parliament with some information about bed configuration.

The SPEAKER: Thank you.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: It seems, though, that every time I open my mouth the frustration emanating from those opposite is manifested in just a whole pile of idiotic comments. I would love to provide this information to you, sir—

The SPEAKER: Thank you.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and to the parliament and put it onto Hansard regarding the specific question of bed configuration. Can I do that, sir?

The SPEAKER: Please.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Thank you. The reality is that the former government implemented a strategy—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: This is directly relevant. Sir, this is directly relevant.

The SPEAKER: Yes, I'm listening.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: They hate hearing it, but it's directly relevant.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my right and left, I'm listening to this answer.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Thank you. The former government embarked upon a policy that was called Transforming Health. This was really about centralising services in the three major spine hospitals in South Australia: the Flinders Medical Centre, the Royal Adelaide Hospital and, of course, the Lyell McEwin Hospital. What it was also about was taking services away from the other hospitals in South Australia. They argued that, by centralising these services, we would get a better outcome in South Australia.

We know what has occurred since then. We know that the Auditor-General has told us that Transforming Health cost $40 million. We know that it closed the Repat Hospital. I'm very pleased to say that we have been able to reverse that decision by the former government because what happens when you close services at Noarlunga and Modbury, when you close the Repat Hospital, when you plan to close St Margaret's Hospital, and you plan to close those things, it will concentrate services—

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order: relevance and debate again.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order—sit down.

The SPEAKER: I do not uphold the point of order. I do not uphold it. The Premier is returning to the substance of the question. He is talking about—

The Hon. D.G. Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Industry is warned. He is talking about bed numbers and associated matters, but I'm pretty sure he is wrapping up his answer.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I'm happy to do this and agree because I think it is so critical for people to actually understand why we have the problems that we have at the moment. We have a concentration of people going to emergency departments in South Australia for one reason and one reason only—

The Hon. S.K. Knoll: This isn't a CFMEU worksite meeting, Tom.

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Transport is warned.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —the beds outside of the three major hospitals have been closed. There is now a concentration on the three major hospitals. We are working as diligently as we possibly can and looking at the bed configuration to make sure that we have beds in the right place. It's not about closing beds, like those opposite suggest. I think we have been able to demonstrate in recent weeks that we are opening beds to solve the problems caused by Transforming Health and those opposite.

The SPEAKER: The member for Kaurna has the call.

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