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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-11-17 Daily Xml
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Ambulance Ramping

The Hon. I. PNEVMATIKOS (15:18): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing regarding health. I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking that question.

Leave granted.

The Hon. I. PNEVMATIKOS: In June, the Premier told a press conference that his state budget would, and I quote, 'definitely fix ramping' and that would happen, and I quote, 'almost immediately'. Since then, South Australia has had three of the four worst months of ramping in South Australia's history. My question to the minister is:

1. Why has the minister failed to meet the Premier's commitments that his state budget will fix ramping almost immediately?

2. Was the Premier lying, or is the minister unable to deliver on a promise?

The PRESIDENT: The honourable member ought to be careful with the way she phrases that question and I might ask her to just rephrase that.

The Hon. I. PNEVMATIKOS: Sure. My question is:

1. Why has the minister failed to meet the Premier's commitment that his state budget will fix ramping almost immediately?

2. Why has the minister been unable to deliver the Premier's promise?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:19): I thank the honourable member for giving me the opportunity—in fact, for having highlighted this government's investment in health in the most recent budget. It continues a strong record of investment in health over the last four years—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —so that we are now investing $7.4 billion—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hunter!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —in health.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The minister will resume his seat. The Hon. Ms Pnevmatikos asked a question, and I reckon she is having as much trouble hearing the answer as I am because of members of the backbench on the opposition side, including the whip.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: That record—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —$7.4 billion investment in health includes a significant increase to the SA Ambulance Service budget. Since Labor's last budget there has been a—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hunter!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —31 per cent increase in—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —the budget of the SA Ambulance Service, in terms of the—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hunter, order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —government's initiatives in relation to reducing ambulance transfer—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —of care delays.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Leader! We have about a minute and a half left, and I want to hear the minister.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Thank you, Mr President. As I was saying, the government, as part of its record—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —$7.4 billion investment, has increased the budget yet again to the SA Ambulance Service, with an additional 74 paramedics—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —being funded through that budget. As I said, the Treasurer is having—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hunter and the Leader of the Opposition are out of order.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —ongoing discussions.

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order, the leader!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: One of the key initiatives of the last budget, in terms of providing alternative care pathways, has been the expansion of the Urgent Mental Health Care Centre in the city. This provides treatment spaces—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —so that mental health patients can receive—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —the care they need outside our busy EDs. In this most recent budget, the Treasurer invested—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —and put the money where the evidence showed we are having a real impact, and we are increasing—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —the hours of the Urgent Mental Health Care Centre to 24 hours a day.

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition is out of order.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: So the Ambulance Service, the police and the walk-in—

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Leader of the Opposition is out of order.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —mental health patients will now, under this budget, under the custodianship of Premier Marshall and Treasurer Lucas, is investing in services—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —that will deliver on the needs of all South Australians.

The Hon. R.P. Wortley interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Wortley ought to be careful with his language.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: I would like to thank the Hon. Irene Pnevmatikos—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —for giving me another opportunity to highlight another innovative service that the Marshall Liberal government—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —is investing in with this $7.4 billion investment in health, the My Home Hospital program, which means that people can receive the care they need in the community. The contribution—

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Point of order: I have not been able to hear the minister address the question once in his whole answer, sir.

The PRESIDENT: Well, some might say it might be difficult to work that out given the noise that has been coming from my left.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Yes, and whilst I am a politician and not a clinician, I would suggest—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —that if one continues to yell one is very unlikely to hear.

The PRESIDENT: The time for questions has expired.

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