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

The Hon. T.T. NGO (14:59): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Health and Wellbeing regarding Wellbeing SA.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.T. NGO: I note that, in a forum that I won't name, Professor Paddy Phillips, the Chief Medical Officer, said about Wellbeing SA: 'the election commitment wasn't very detailed about what functions would fit into it', 'the form and budget will need to follow the functions that end up being specified' and 'we don't have a start-up date'. My question to the minister is: why was there no money for Wellbeing SA in the 2018 budget?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:00): Through you, Mr President, I make the point that the government will deliver on all of its election promises, promises that were made for a four-year parliamentary term. I know the honourable member is impressed by the Treasurer's budget, which overwhelmingly delivered on the election commitments of the government, in stark contrast to a Labor government which, over 16 years, fell short of delivering on its commitments to the South Australian community. I am thinking particularly of the three times they announced the emergency extended care unit at Modbury Hospital and it still wasn't delivered. I am also thinking of the Modbury eye hospital, which was announced in 2015 and never delivered.

The Labor Party might like to show some patience. Eight months into a four-year term, we are not going to apologise that we haven't delivered everything yet. What we have done, in relation to structural reform of the health department, is in July this year this parliament passed the board governance reform, one of the most significant reforms of health in this state ever. The former Labor government abolished boards in 2007, boards which were fundamentally based on a hospital-based system. Ours is based on LHNs and regions. It is not at all surprising that the government is focusing its reform effort on making sure that local health networks and board governance is well structured and viable.

I am actually surprised by the Hon. Tung Ngo's line of questioning considering that the Leader of the Opposition, in the context of the Auditor-General's discussion, was saying, 'Are we sure we are not rushing the board governance reform? Is it all a bit much for the health bureaucracy to get dizzy and lose track of the reform agenda?'

The Hon. I.K. Hunter: You haven't even answered the question. You have gone everywhere but. 'Nothing to see here.' You are hopeless. You're not even across your brief.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hunter!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: I can assure you that they are not. As I said to the Leader of the Opposition yesterday, this government is delivering on board governance and it will do so in a sustainable and strong way. That's why Wellbeing SA will be consulted on in due course. We don't expect the health bureaucracy to deliver board governance reform at the same time as delivering on the government's policy on Wellbeing SA.

In relation to Wellbeing SA, we are focusing on board governance reform at this stage. Early next year, we will be consulting on Wellbeing SA. The fact of the matter is that the better prevention policy and the targeted prevention policy, two very strong policies in our government's set, two policies that undergird the Healthy Towns Challenge that I earlier mentioned—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.G. WADE: You might like to look at a dictionary for that one. Two policies that reflect this government's commitment to preventative health, in stark contrast to Labor's lack of interest in that area. We will get on to consulting on Wellbeing SA. We will get on to delivering wave after wave of reform, but let's have the first wave wash through before you get impatient for the next.

Members interjecting:

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