House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-12-01 Daily Xml

Contents

Coronavirus, Hotel Quarantine

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (16:16): Supplementary question to the Premier: will the Premier release the detailed feedback on the six areas of interest that the national report gave to South Australia, and are those detailed six areas where the supposed gold star is located?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (16:16): I don't know what the cynicism is for from the opposition. This is a very serious matter and, quite frankly, it's one of the most important matters that faces our nation at the moment. Currently, there are tens of thousands of Australian citizens who are stranded overseas. Currently, there are a large number of international students who have already studied in Australia, who are stranded overseas, awaiting the opportunity to return. So this is something we have, I think, a great obligation as a nation to get right.

In South Australia, we have had, I think, somewhere between 8,000 and 9,000 people through our medi-hotels since April. There is clearly an issue associated with the most recent Parafield cluster. That is something that we will learn from, that is something we have already put corrective action in place and we have other aspects of our medi-hotel eight-point plan that we are implementing at the moment. But the reality is that we remain 100 per cent committed to safe medi-hotels so that we can have the repatriation of these Australian citizens to our nation.

Mr PICTON: Point of order: debate. The question was very specific in terms of would the detailed feedback on those six areas of interest be released.

The SPEAKER: On the point of order, there was reference also to the source of the 'gold star', as I heard the question. I was listening very carefully to the Premier in addressing that matter. The Premier is in the course of answering. The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Thank you very much, sir. As I said, Jane Halton provided feedback to national cabinet. It's national cabinet's decision as to what to release. It's not up to individual jurisdictions. Moreover, Jane Halton provided advice directly to the Australian Health Principal Protection Committee (AHPPC).

As most members in this place know, Professor Nicola Spurrier, the Chief Public Health Officer in South Australia, sits on the AHPPC with the chief health officers from around the country, as well as the Acting Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly. They have received that information. Our performance has been made extraordinarily clear to us in South Australia, but it really would be a decision for the national cabinet or the AHPPC to release any further details.

What I have said repeatedly in this place is that we take advice from what has happened in Australia, we take advice from what happens in other jurisdictions—interstate and around the world—and we ultimately want to do everything we possibly can to improve our performance with regard to our medi-hotels in South Australia, but it is not up to South Australia to be releasing that information.