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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-02-06 Daily Xml
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Question Time

Ambulance Ramping

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (14:46): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Leader of the Government in this place about election promises.

Leave granted.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: The January 2024 figures are the third worst month of ramping ever experienced here in South Australia. The Malinauskas Labor government has now delivered the 20 worst months of ramping in South Australia's history. Since Labor came to government less than two years ago, 78,465 hours of paramedic and patients' time has been lost to ramping. That is more than under the entire four-year term of the former Liberal government during a global pandemic.

Labor is also responsible for the worst month of ramping in the state's history, with 4,285 hours lost last November, and the second worst month of ramping occurred last March, with 3,968 hours lost. My questions to the Leader of the Government are:

1. Given we are two years into the government's term, when will his government deliver on their election commitment to fix ramping?

2. Given South Australian Labor told South Australians to 'vote like your life depends on it', will the Leader of the Government take responsibility for the recent deaths in our state as a result of ramping?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:47): I thank the honourable member for her question. As I have been asked about this regularly, I am happy to remind the honourable member and those opposite that the Minister for Health sits in another chamber.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I am happy to refer the question to the minister in another place, but I will—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: —maybe make a passing comment that over the last few weeks we have regularly seen members of the Liberal Party asked what their plans are for ramping and they have almost proudly admitted—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Order, the honourable Leader of the Opposition and the Hon. Mr Wortley!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: —they don't have one. They don't have any plans at all whatsoever about ramping. It is—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Ms Girolamo!

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The honourable Leader of the Opposition!

The Hon. R.P. Wortley: You don't have a plan.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Wortley, I am on my feet. You know better than that.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: It's disappointing. In years gone by, we would have never seen repeated questions asked of ministers in this chamber, if it didn't relate to them.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. L.A. Henderson interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order, the Hon. Mrs Henderson!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: In years gone by, leaders who knew what they were doing—like the Hon. David Ridgway—would ask questions of ministers in this chamber. He was very good and very pointed at asking direct questions, tricky questions of the government in this chamber.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: You could almost imagine the tactics meetings, such as the tactics are of the opposition in this place. I can just imagine the Hon. Michelle Lensink, as the only person now who has ever been a minister on the opposition benches, reminding the leader, 'Why would you ask questions of a minister in this chamber when the portfolio responsibility lies in the other chamber?' But still they insist on doing it—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: —and that is their choice.

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