Matt Williams (Hindmarsh, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Firstly I would like to thank the Treasurer and the Prime Minister for the good work they have done in putting together this year's budget. Again, South Australia will receive more money from the Commonwealth just as they did last year. In fact, Commonwealth funding for South Australia increases by $2.4 billion over the forward estimates. South Australia will benefit from a 19 per cent increase in funding for hospitals, or $200 million more for four years; a 26 per cent increase for schools, or $280 million more over four years; and $2 billion in funding for world-class infrastructure, such as the South Road project on the border of my electorate. In every single measure, the South Australian state government is receiving more Commonwealth funding than ever before.

As you may know, the Weatherill Labor government in South Australia has outlined its Transforming Health proposal for South Australia. Under this proposal, the services of the people in my electorate of Hindmarsh will be put at risk, with possibly fatal consequences. I do not say this lightly. Under state Labor's proposal, people suffering from a stroke or heart attack will no longer be treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. And the Repatriation Hospital, commonly known as 'The Repat', will be closed. The Repat has served our veterans community—as they have served us—very well for many years. This slap in the face to veterans was announced before the 100 year anniversary of the Gallipoli landings, with just three weeks of community consultation.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital has been the major hospital in Adelaide's western suburbs for over 60 years, servicing many members of my electorate. For generations, people have sought help in a time of need, including me—I accessed the emergency services when I had something wrong. Whether it is for surgery, giving birth or needing emergency treatment, the QEH has been there for us. State Labor's recently announced cuts to health services will mean the end of emergency services at the QEH.

There have been a series of community meetings protesting state Labor's health cuts, demonstrating the community hurt at the health changes. At every meeting there have been people highlighting their personal stories of near fatal emergencies and how the QEH, emergency services or The Repat has helped them. Medical staff have indicated that if they needed to travel to the Royal Adelaide Hospital, it is more than likely that they would not have survived. These meetings were organised by Maureen Hamilton, who has done an amazing job and who has been working around the clock to fight the transforming health proposals.

This policy has caused great concern for the membership of the Labor Party, with many members and former members of the Labor Party attending and making their disgust known. And one of the strongest supporters of the QEH, of the Repat and of the many other hospitals that are under risk is Maureen's husband, the former Labor member for Albert Park, Kevin Hamilton. Kevin has passionately spoken about the effect these cuts to health services will have on the local community and has brought many sectors of the community together to fight the cuts. I congratulate Kevin and Maureen on their fine work.

Not only has Stephen Wade, the Liberal shadow minister for health, been working hand-in-glove with Kevin and Maureen, but members of the South Australian Salaried Medical Officers Association, Vickie Chapman the deputy state Liberal leader, Kelly Vincent the independent MLC from Dignity for Disabled and Robert Brokenshire from Family First have all joined the cause and spoken against the cuts at the community meetings. We also had Ralph Clarke, the former deputy leader of the Labor Party in South Australia, speak at the community meeting and former federal member for Port Adelaide, Rod Sawford, spoke and acted as the MC for the event, so you can see there has been a huge backlash within the Labor Party at these cuts to the health system.

What has been missing at all of these community events, where members of the public have come to voice their concerns at the health cuts and share their fear for themselves and their loved ones, has been any currently serving Labor members of parliament. The QEH is in the Premier's own electorate and he would not come down and hear from people first-hand how the health cuts will affect them. There has been no Stephen Mullighan, no Paul Caica the member for Colton, no Tom Koutsantonis the member for West Torrens in the western suburbs. And, in spite of his predecessor playing an active role, the member for Port Adelaide, Mark Butler, has not been heard. This comes on top of SA Labor's continued neglect of country health in South Australia, with further reports of a continued stand-off with rural doctors, the recent closure of the Mallala Hospital and the well-publicised fight to keep the Keith Hospital open in the south-east.

When governments fail to manage their finances and budget, as Labor governments do, they force spending cuts, they force reductions in services and redundancies in the public service. Labor have failed to look after our health system in South Australia and they have disappeared. They have not been there when it counts and we, the South Australian Liberal Party and the federal Liberals, will continue to fight them.