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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-05-05 Daily Xml
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McGowan, Dr C.

The Hon. C. BONAROS (15:16): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Health and Wellbeing a question about the alleged behaviour of SA Health CEO, Dr Chris McGowan.

Leave granted.

The Hon. C. BONAROS: At the outset, I would like to take the opportunity to clarify and indeed correct some comments I made in this place yesterday during a question to the minister. During that question, I asked the minister if he was aware of comments Dr McGowan made when he referred to what I believed was just one of the CEOs of SA Health's local health networks as a 'tea lady'. That reference was wrong and indeed, as I have since found out, is much worse than I originally believed.

Worse because I am advised now that the comment was directed at not one but all three CEOs of the LHNs: the Central Adelaide LHN CEO, Lesley Dwyer; the Southern Adelaide LHN CEO, Susan O'Neill; and the Northern Adelaide LHN CEO, Maree Geraghty, who just all happen to be females. Worse, because I am now advised that Dr McGowan didn't use the phrase 'tea lady' but rather used the words 'my three bank teller girls, the ones who are always very keen to take your money'.

I am told that those comments were made at a meeting he was hosting in front of the three CEOs of his senior executive team I have mentioned, as well as other SA Health staff. I am further advised that there was no reported laughter, and even if it was intended as a joke it was reported to me as completely and utterly inappropriate. I am also told by a person present at the meeting that Dr McGowan, as he always is when hosting such meetings, was trying to 'build a moat between himself and the minister, the LHNs and his continued strategy to shift blame'. My question to the minister is:

1. Are you aware of these comments being made by Dr McGowan? If not, will you undertake to make yourself aware of these comments?

2. Since I first raised issues in this place yesterday, have you sought clarification from Dr McGowan personally?

3. Do you believe such comments are appropriate?

4. Will you speak to Dr McGowan personally to seek clarification of the comments apparently made in front of an audience, in line with what I have just outlined?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:18): I thank the honourable member for her question. Certainly, I didn't need to go to Mr McGowan; he came to me to indicate that what the honourable member said in this house yesterday in relation to 'tea lady' was completely incorrect.

In relation to the latest piece of hearsay that the honourable member is bringing to this house, I am advised that at a meeting of local health network chief executive officers Dr McGowan used words to the effect of, 'It wasn't a bank teller who invented the automatic teller machine.' My understanding is that the chief executive was trying to make the point that people who are vested in business as usual tend not to see disruptive ways to improve outcomes. As we improve the health system in South Australia, we will need to find disruptive ways to improve outcomes, and that's what we expect of our leadership.

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