Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It gives me pleasure to rise in the Main Committee today to raise an issue of great importance in my electorate, which is the changes to the Glenside Hospital. The state government has decided to introduce changes to the Glenside Hospital, which is the mental health hospital in Adelaide. The Glenside campus has been in the hands of the public, as a public space, since 1836, when our city was founded and laid out. In all that time, every generation has maintained the Glenside campus for public activity—for the mental health institution that used to be there, which is now a proper hospital. It used to be an asylum many, many years ago, tragically, when we did not know better.

The state government’s Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Gail Gago, has decided to cut up the public land at Glenside Hospital. She is proposing changes to the mental health facilities and the introduction of housing for those people who have mental illnesses, and we welcome the fact that there is finally a focus by the South Australian state Labor government on issues to do with mental health. It is a smoke and mirrors trick, however, because the number of beds that will be available for patients in the newly developed hospital will actually be less than what is available now. One of the objectives of the state government was to put more services out on the ground for those people with mental illnesses. The effect of their changes is actually to have fewer services.

At the same time, they are selling off a huge percentage of the Glenside campus for housing development and for commercial and retail tenancies. In Glenside, an area very well served at the moment—

Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

By its local member.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, very well served by the local member. I thank the member for Fisher. They are served well on Glen Osmond Road and Fullarton Road, by the Burnside Village and by other retail and commercial tenancies in that area. There is a great debate locally as to whether this is a necessary change. There will be destruction of historic trees and of other flora and fauna during the development that is being proposed by the state government. There have been a number of public meetings about this issue, which the minister has refused to attend. She sends her public servants—and I have nothing against public servants—but it is not their role to publicly defend the policies of the government they serve. That is the job of the minister or the member of parliament.

Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is she frightened?

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

She is obviously frightened to face the electors of Glenside. I have demanded that she do so. I asked again today that the state minister, Gail Gago, agree to a public meeting in Glenside with the local residents to hear their concerns and to act on their concerns rather than hiding behind her public servants. (Time expired)