Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-12-02 Daily Xml

Contents

COVID-19 Testing Clinics

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (14:24): Further supplementary: is the minister saying there are not specific needs on an ongoing basis in a major tourist centre such as Robe?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:24): The opposition thinks it's somehow clever to put words in other people's mouths. It is not actually constructive. What I would say is that it is not feasible, it is not a good deployment of pathology resources, high-quality resources from SA Pathology, to have small clinics in every single community in South Australia. That is why SA Pathology continues to run a regional network of established clinics, in spite of the fact that the Labor Party in 2014, I think it was (2013 perhaps it was) had a report which they took months to dispute—sorry, to reject the proposal in their own report that they were going to close down regional clinics. This government has continued to maintain—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —a good network of regional clinics under SA Pathology—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —and they will—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The opposition will be silent.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —be supported with other—

The Hon. E.S. Bourke interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order, the Hon. Ms Bourke!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: I do regret the fact that I have offended the Hon. Emily Bourke. I know she is embarrassed that under the 16 years of a Labor government they had dozens of—sorry, I shouldn't say dozens—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —medical imaging centre after medical imaging—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Point of order, sir.

The PRESIDENT: Order! Point of order, the minister will resume his seat.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Are you able to—

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —centre that was outsourced. It was operated by private operators. Now they want to have privatisation select committees.

The PRESIDENT: The minister will resume his seat.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I wonder if you are able to enlighten the chamber as to—

The Hon. R.P. Wortley interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order, the Hon. Mr Wortley! Your leader is on his feet.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: —whether the unnecessary and aggressive pointing at the opposition is parliamentary.

The PRESIDENT: I think everybody ought to have a look at themselves before they make those sorts of suggestions. Has the minister concluded that answer? He has.