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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-06-24 Daily Xml
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State Budget

Mrs POWER (Elder) (14:56): Thank you—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Elder has the call. The Minister for Innovation and Skills is warned.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my left!

Mrs POWER: My question is to the Deputy Premier. Can the Deputy Premier please update the house on how the Marshall Liberal government's budget is delivering a stronger South Australia and, in particular, what has been the community and industry reaction?

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Planning and Local Government) (14:56): I am very happy to, and I thank the member for Elder for her interest in a number of aspects that relate to us delivering a stronger South Australia.

Key to this, of course, has been jobs, and we have repeatedly heard the significance of the historic moment of the most people in South Australia being employed in the history of the state and, importantly in that, heavy lifters in small business and employment of women and the most women ever in the history of the state in employment. I commend that.

Part of that, of course, is due to business and consumer confidence that is at record levels; that is part of the conditions that are important for that. The third most livable city in the country—these are all aspects—

Mr Boyer interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Wright!

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: —that stack up to us being a stronger economy and being stronger for the environment in which our South Australian families grow.

Can I just add to that what I think has been a staggering turnaround, and that is the three successful quarters of population reversal in terms of people coming to live in our state rather than leaving our state. The net migration for the last three quarters was in the positive, an outstanding achievement by the Premier in relation to the state's future.

However, there are three areas that have really been targeted in this budget that I think have really drawn our attention. In addition to jobs and educational opportunities for our children, there is also health. There has been a staggering trifecta of abandonment by the previous government in the last 16 years. If I were to give three direct examples, I would start with mental health.

The member for Florey would be very interested in this because she was very active in this space during the time of the previous government to ensure that we put extra money into social housing, mental health and those who are vulnerable in the community. The previous government's decision to sell off 40 per cent of Glenside, to let Woodleigh House go into decay, has been unacceptable.

Mr Picton interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Kaurna is warned.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: To close the Repat hospital, in particular Ward 17 for our veterans for mental health—

Mr Picton interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Kaurna is warned for second time.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: —just all adds to the cascading abandonment of responsibility.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Colton!

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: So I am very proud, as indeed are some of the commentators—

Mr Cowdrey interjecting:

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

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: —in relation to mental health, like Geoff Harris of the Mental Health Coalition of South Australia. He says that this budget has welcome initiatives to invest—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Kaurna will cease interjecting.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: —in the SA Mental Health Services Plan, in particular investing in strengthening pathways for crisis support to help and avoid presentations at emergency departments. These are people, like Mr Harris, who have worked in the Mental Health Coalition—

Mr Picton interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Kaurna!

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: —for decades. He understands the problem and he has given a very clear tick of approval to this budget in relation to a constant, continuous abandonment by the previous government. I am very proud to be part of this government that is remedying that as we speak. Let's stick to the Repat hospital—to reclaim that land, to rebuild that facility, when the previous government had just said, 'No, we are closing it. We're flogging off that service. We'll cherrypick out a little bit of Ward 17—

Mr Brown interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Playford will leave for the remainder of question time, pursuant to standing order 137A.

The honourable member for Playford having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: —we will set up a James Nash House over what's left of Glenside, and then we're just going to flog off the rest.' It was totally unacceptable. To leave the whole of the south-west metropolitan area of South Australia without a serious hospital to be able to deal with surgical mental health services was a disgrace, an absolute disgrace.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader!

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: The Hon. Stephen Wade—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader will cease interjecting.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: —has spearheaded the reclaiming of that site. You should go down there and have a look, Mr Speaker, because honestly the intersection has been upgraded. Thank you, Minister for Transport: that is a stunning improvement. There are buildings going up everywhere and they are important to be done. And the third hospital—

The SPEAKER: Order! The time for answering the question has expired.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Does the member for Lee seek the call?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Chaffey is warned.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Chaffey! Does the member for Lee seek the call?

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: I do.

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