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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-07-24 Daily Xml
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SA Health

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:38): I have a supplementary for the Minister for Health and Wellbeing—that's him—a supplementary to clarify the answer that he gave. The minister said that he discussed this agreement with the chief executive. Can he inform us when that was discussed? The minister said that some changes were suggested. Can he inform us of what further changes were suggested, or not, in relation to this agreement, and if any of those changes, that his new chief executive suggested to him in the discussion, were acted upon?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:39): I'm not aware of any other suggested changes. Let me be clear as to why the reduction.

The Hon. K.J. Maher: When did you discuss it with him?

The PRESIDENT: You've just asked your question, Leader of the Opposition. Allow the minister to answer, and then I may allow another supplementary.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The relevance of the duration of the contract was in the context of a new government. Under the former government, we had seen a massive disinvestment in non-hospital-based care, a point that Dr McGowan specifically made in the Budget and Finance Committee yesterday. This government intends to significantly reinvest in out-of-hospital care and to do so in a way which engages a whole range of non-government providers, particularly with—

The Hon. I.K. Hunter: Which benefits his former company is the point you're not addressing.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. I.K. Hunter: It benefits his former company, and you let him sign off on it.

The PRESIDENT: Order! Minister, continue.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: So the commitment of the government is to make sure we can reinvest in preventative and out-of-hospital care to provide better services to South Australians. To commit ourselves to three-year contracts with rights of renewal was, in the context of a new government, not the best approach. I agreed with the chief executive that to reduce the duration of the contract—

The Hon. I.K. Hunter: You're dancing around it; give us a straight answer. Did you know?

The PRESIDENT: Order, order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —to one year gave the government the opportunity to set its own priorities.

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