House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2019-02-26 Daily Xml

Contents

Hospital Beds

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (14:59): My question is to the Premier. What consideration was given to the SA Ambulance nine-death cluster when the government in December closed 25 beds at Hampstead, 16 beds at Flinders and 20 beds at the Women's and Children's Hospital?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:59): I think—

Mr Malinauskas: Open some beds and close more somewhere else.

The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition is warned for a second time.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: It's surprising that the member for Kaurna, who previously worked as a key adviser to the minister implementing Transforming Health and the health system in South Australia, doesn't understand the way that it works.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Look at them move away from Transforming Health. It wasn't that long ago that they were spending hundreds—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —of thousands of dollars, maybe millions of dollars, promoting Transforming Health.

The SPEAKER: Could the Premier please resume his seat.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order: sir, the Premier just informed the house that the member for Kaurna used to be employed by the former minister for health, the Hon. Jack Snelling, That is not true.

The SPEAKER: I will go back through the Hansard.

The Hon. S.K. Knoll interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Yes, that is right. Is there a point of order? What was the point of order? In any event, member for West Torrens, if I can help, I'm not sure if that is even relevant to the question that was asked.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: It's all relevant, sir. Informing the house—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I will be listening carefully to ensure that the Premier answers the substance of the question. The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: I seem to remember sitting in this chamber when the former member for Kaurna, the Hon. John Hill, talked about the Generational Health Review—

Mr Brown: You said Transforming Health.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —which was done by—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —Mr Menadue and which basically—

Mr Brown: Don't mislead the parliament.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier has the call and the member for Playford can leave for half an hour.

The honourable member for Playford having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —was the forerunner to the ultimately named Transforming Health. I'm not sure—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —whether he wants to get away from that minister as well, but it's a pretty messy situation. It's a situation that we inherited from those opposite.