Health Budget

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:19): I seek leave to make an explanation prior to directing a question to the minister representing the Minister for Health on the subject of health budgets.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: As we have heard, there has been widespread opposition from a number of health groups in relation to proposed federal budget cuts and state budget cuts as well. As the minister will know, the federal budget cuts to health have been opposed by the state government and by the state Liberal Party from the Leader of the Opposition down. There was a rally today held outside Parliament House. My question is: can the minister assure the house that no public servants were paid for any time spent travelling to or from the rally today and for time spent in attending the rally and, if not, what were the total costs to taxpayers?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (15:20): I thank the honourable member for his questions, and I will refer them to the Minister for Health in another place. But I do remind honourable members in this place of the profound impact, the devastating impact, that the Liberal federal government's cuts to particularly health services will have, no doubt, on every South Australian but particularly, as I have stated in this place today, on those who are the most vulnerable, those on low incomes and particularly large families.

I remind people that the total impact to the state budget over the forward estimates is $898 million, that the cuts to health in 2017-18 alone will have the equivalent impact of slashing 600 hospital beds (about the size of the Flinders Medical Centre). The $7 GP tax will have, no doubt, a significant impact on driving people away from GP services and increasing, potentially, the strain on emergency services, and we know that that particularly impacts on women because we know that women are often left to attend to the care needs of their children. There is also the removal of the $440 million across the forward estimates in health, through the reneging of the National Health Reform Agreement, including, as I have mentioned, $217 million in 2017-18, and, of course, the elimination of the national partnership agreement, which equates to $162 million over the forward estimates.

These cuts will have a savage impact on the health and wellbeing of many South Australians. I urge every member in this place to be lobbying the federal Liberal government to wind back these savage measures, and I call on every member here to do their bit to stand up for South Australians and to ensure that we retain good health services here in this state.