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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-06-23 Daily Xml
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Health Budget

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:10): My question is to the Premier. Why is the Premier's budget allowing for a cut in staff performing vaccinations within our health system when only approximately 4 per cent of the South Australian population is fully vaccinated?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:10): I am not suggesting that there is an immediate decrease. In fact, I think there is an immediate increase, but within the various LHNs they have different requirements. I find it almost impossible to believe that the Leader of the Opposition hasn't been following this very carefully. Where we were originally doing vaccinations—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —within individual hospitals, we have moved to a range of mass vaccination clinics in South Australia. The one at Wayville is actually operated by CALHN, not the Women's and Children's Health Network. The one that is focused at Playford is—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader will cease interjecting.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —being run by the northern health network, and the one that is down south—

The Hon. J.A.W. Gardner interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Education!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —is in the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network, and they are all doing an excellent job. In fact, whilst those opposite want to carp and complain and cherrypick days and hours that they can't get a booking immediately, the reality is that yesterday was a record for South Australia in terms of the vaccinations that were provided.

By and large, people have found it very simple to get online, to book an appointment, to roll up their sleeve and have their jab, and they know by doing that they are protecting themselves, their families, their communities and their workplaces. Quite frankly, that's what is keeping our state safe and our economy strong in South Australia, and we are constantly looking to improve that run rate in South Australia, and that's exactly and precisely what is happening.

It is a pity that those opposite were trying to undermine the confidence the people of South Australia have in the vaccination program here in South Australia. I think that SA Health is doing an outstanding job, and I want to thank the men and women of SA Health for the outstanding job they have done—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —since day one. That's one of the reasons why we are massively increasing the resources to SA Health in South Australia, and that is evidenced by the budget that was brought down yesterday—

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Lee!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —a massive increase in the overall budget to SA Health—$7.4 billion per year. When the failed Leader of the Opposition was the health minister in South Australia—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —it was at $6.5 billion. It is now up to $7.4 billion. We have been massively investing in health care in South Australia. I think that the men and women of SA Health—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader is warned.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —have done an outstanding job. We are backing them 100 per cent of the way. We don't think that those opposite should be undermining the confidence the people of South Australia have in the vaccination program. Having that vaccination is going to be what keeps our state safe and our economy strong.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: It's safe, it's effective, it's free of charge. I do make the point that it is not compulsory, so we are asking people to come on this journey with us—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier will resume his seat for a moment.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: —and make sure they vaccinate—

The SPEAKER: The Premier will resume his seat for a moment. There is just an outrageous amount of interjection that is proceeding in the chamber presently, so much so that the Premier is actually not too far away from me and I am struggling to hear the Premier's answer. I call to order the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Members on my left and members on my right are reminded that the Premier in this case but all ministers in answering a question are entitled to be heard in silence. The interjections will cease. The Premier has the call.

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: As you would have seen in the budget yesterday, we provided $86.1 million to go into the vaccination program over the next two years. We want people to turn up for their vaccinations when they are due. It is safe, it is effective, it is free of charge. It is not compulsory, it is not mandatory, but we think there is an excellent acceptance of the need for every individual to play their part.

Professor Nicola Spurrier, our Chief Public Health Officer in South Australia, is imploring people to mirror the great response we had in terms of our testing regime with our vaccine regime. She wants us to be the very best vaccinated state in Australia and I want to support that 100 per cent. That is why I am calling upon the Leader of the Opposition and the opposition more generally to stop undermining public confidence in our excellent vaccination program in South Australia. Scaring people with Labor lies is not helping our state.

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