Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-11-14 Daily Xml

Contents

Question Time

KordaMentha

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:18): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Health and Wellbeing regarding KordaMentha.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: The tender release by the government, entitled 'CALHN Restructuring and Financial Turnaround Implementation Services', page 4, part B, states:

KM—

that is, KordaMentha—

has also been engaged to provide 2 FTE appropriately qualified KM staff to temporarily fill vacant Manager, Business Operation positions in the Critical Care and Surgical Directorates. These staff will carry out the duties of these positions for CALHN and report on a day-to-day basis to a CALHN employee...

Last week, the minister was unable to confirm to the council that KordaMentha staff have indeed filled two management positions in the critical care and surgery directorates of CALHN. Given the minister has had a week to check and reflect, will he confirm whether KordaMentha staff are indeed fulfilling manager positions in CALHN and was the appointment of two KordaMentha staff to fulfil such manager positions in CALHN in compliance with the Health Care Act and the Public Service Act?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:20): I am advised that some KordaMentha staff are taking on roles within the CALHN management structure, roles that I am advised were vacant at the time. The fact of the matter is that we have made it clear all along that the KordaMentha team will work with the CALHN team in this process. This is a cooperative relationship between the KordaMentha team and the SA Health team.