South Australia Opposition Leader Isobel Redmond

Labor’s Secretive RAH Plans Must Be Revealed

Victor P Taffa

The Liberal Opposition is calling on the Weatherill Labor government to immediately reveal its plans for the future of the current Royal Adelaide Hospital site.

“The government needs to make its future plans for this important piece of land crystal clear.” Liberal Leader Isobel Redmond said.

“Health Minister Hill confused the issue today with muddled explanations about Labor’s plans for the site, indicating elements of the current hospital will stay where they are, while insisting it would be ridiculous to maintain two hospitals.”

“The current arrangement where the hospital, teaching and research facilities are co-located in a single hub is being torn apart without proper planning from the Weatherill government.”

“The State Liberals have previously called on the government to make clear its plans for the University’s medical school, the Hanson Institute (IMVS), the Robinson Institute and other teaching establishments including the nursing schools, outpatients, obstetrics, ophthalmology and oncology services.” Ms. Redmond said.

“Shifting the university will only add additional costs for future governments as they look to wrangle with Labor’s lack of foresight.”

“Is the current RAH land to be given to the University of Adelaide? Is it to become the site for hotel or arts precinct? Is it to continue on in medical health role? South Australians need some answers.” Ms. Redmond said.

“By unnecessarily moving the RAH to the other end of the city, Labor has created a new set of problems for future governments to fix.”

“South Australians will be paying $1.1 Million a day for 30 years from 2015-16 for the relocation of the hospital. This will put further pressures on a precarious Health budget for years to come as well as the increasing cost of living for all South Australians.” Ms. Redmond said.

South Australia Shadow Minister for Transport Vickie Chapman

Make Bus Performance Data Public

Victor P Taffa

The Liberal Opposition is calling on the State Government to publish detailed reports of payments made to private bus operators and the results of performance audits.

Similar information is published on the internet by the Victorian Government and the Liberals think publishing the information will increase confidence in the public transport system.

Shadow Transport Minister, Vickie Chapman, says the Government needs to be honest with the public about what services are being provided and how much operators were being paid for them.

“This is a very simple way for people to look at what level of service are being provided and what the Government is doing about poor service delivery.” Ms. Chapman said.

“People will be able to quickly identify what private operators are being paid and what services were being provided for that money.”

“Currently, information concerning on-time performance and fines is provided to the public on an ad hoc basis which is not good enough.”

“If Minister Fox is running the system properly she won’t mind people having a look at what she is doing.” Ms. Chapman said.

South Australia Shadow Minister for Health Martin Hamilton-Smith

Minister Gets It Wrong & Attacks Auditor-General

Victor P Taffa

Minister Hill’s claims this afternoon that the Opposition are inaccurate in suggesting that there are two sets of ledgers for overseas travel is factually incorrect.

The Auditor-General says on page 17 of his report ‘The Department maintains two registers, one to meet FBT compliance obligations and the other to facilitate travel report obligations. There were a number of differences noted between the two registers’.

“It is the Auditor-General who in black and white has said the minister is maintaining two registers, one for the tax man, and another for Parliament.” Shadow Minister for Health Martin Hamilton-Smith said.

“Minister Hill and his CE are the only people saying there is just one register.”

“I choose to believe the independent watchdog, who states in black and white the facts on the financial mismanagement rife in Minister Hill’s department. Once again Minister Hill has chosen to attack the Auditor-General instead of addressing the substance of the issue.”

“Minister Hill has a long established track record of denigrating and demeaning the work of the Auditor-General.”

“In December, Minister Hill took a swipe at the Auditor-General stating ‘The Auditor-General has an opinion. He’s not God, he’s a person’.”

“On the April 4th, a day before the supplementary report into Health was tabled six months late, the Health Minister repeated his claim that the delay in reporting was a result of the Auditor’s department, rather than accepting responsibility for the chaos in Health.”

“Minister Hill is developing a track record of arrogance and disdain towards the Auditor’s role and has continually failed to heed his advice.” Mr. Hamilton-Smith said.

South Australia Opposition Leader Isobel Redmond

Weatherill Puts Cost Of Living In The ‘Too Hard Basket’

Victor P Taffa

Premier Weatherill has again failed to put the interests of South Australians ahead of his own at today’s COAG meeting by refusing to tackle the subject of cost of living.

This morning on talkback radio Mr. Weatherill said he hoped the biggest thing to come out of today’s COAG meeting was skills. He said:

“Skills is massive… the single most important thing.”

(ABC Radio)

Liberal Leader Isobel Redmond has demanded Mr. Weatherill explain why the plight of South Australians unable to cope with the rising cost of living doesn’t warrant a mention from Mr. Weatherill at COAG.

“Mr Weatherill is either hopelessly out of touch with the struggles faced by South Australians or simply afraid of angering the Labor Party, or possibly both.” Ms. Redmond said.

“By not even raising the issue, Mr. Weatherill has declared that, either way, his loyalty does not lie with South Australians and their interests.”

“People are fighting to pay the bills yet Mr Weatherill won’t fight for them.” Ms. Redmond said.

“If Mr. Weatherill was doing his job properly and truly representing South Australians, he would go to Canberra and oppose Labor’s toxic carbon tax.”

“Since becoming Premier, Mr. Weatherill has consistently called for a bi-partisan approach on major issues.”

“We are calling on Mr. Weatherill to adopt a bi-partisan approach and join the other mainland Premiers in opposing the Gillard Labor Government’s toxic carbon tax.” Ms. Redmond said.

South Australia Shadow Minister for Economic Development David Ridgway

Not To Eyre Is To Err

Victor P Taffa

Regional development Minister Gail Gago has revealed she has never met – or couldn’t remember meeting – proponents of a major mining venture which is investing more than $260 Million on the Eyre Peninsula.

Ms. Gago told Parliament, “I do not believe I have met with Eyre Iron”.

Eyre Iron Pty Ltd is a joint venture between Centrex metals and Wugang Australian Resources Investment Pty Ltd. It is already holding public consultation on mining, processing and exporting its rich mineral deposits between Dutton Bay and Port Lincoln.

“Wugang is a part of the Chinese steel giant Wuhan Iron & Steel.” Opposition Economic Development Spokesperson David Ridgway said.

“We’re talking globally serious players, but Ms. Gago seems too lazy or disinterested to discuss their massive project which is dependent on having enough power and water to grind ore fine enough to release the precious magnetite and upgrade it to a saleable product.”

“Everyone on the Eyre Peninsula knows the region lacks sufficient electricity and water, but the Minister is apparently clueless.” Mr. Ridgway said.

“South Australians rightly expect that their minister for regional development to at least talk with major investors in regional SA about their needs and expectations.”

“Lack of water is holding back the peninsula but what this Government does is just a drop in the bucket.”

“It’s a disgrace. It’s not as though we’ve suddenly discovered there’s a water shortage holding back regional development.” Mr. Ridgway said.

“The consortium is even planning to build a deep-water port north of Tumby Bay. SA needs an Eyre Peninsula port capable of loading Cape-class vessels to make us world-competitive.”

“I investigated sites on the Eyre Peninsula. The location will have implications for a century or more. It’s vital we make the right choice.”

“But the first choice would be to replace the minister for regional development with someone interested in her portfolio.” Mr. Ridgway said.

South Australia Shadow Minister for Transport Vickie Chapman

Three More Months Of Bus Pain

Victor P Taffa

Bus users will be forced to endure three more months of unsatisfactory services while the Weatherill Labor Government drags its feet on changing metropolitan bus timetables.

Despite already knowing for months that the current bus arrangements in Adelaide are not working, Transport Service Minister Chloe Fox is refusing to change bus times until July.

 Shadow Minister for Transport, Vickie Chapman, said the Minister should act faster if she has the legal capacity to do so.

“Every person in Adelaide knows the current bus timetables are unworkable and are resulting in a poor service.” Ms. Chapman said.

“Minister Fox must immediately implement knew timetables that create better service connectivity and greater reliability for consumers.”

“If the Minister does not have the legal capacity to change the bus timetables before July she needs to tell the public that.”

 “South Australians are sick of getting to work late and deserve better from the Labor Government.” Ms. Chapman said.

South Australia Shadow Minister for Health Martin Hamilton-Smith

Health Minister Gets It Wrong Again On Oracle

Victor P Taffa

Minister Hill has had to seek to leave in Parliament this morning to correct wrong information he gave the house concerning the implementation of the floundering Oracle IT system, which has seen financial misadministration and a multimillion dollar blow out.

“The Health Minister made statements to Parliament on the 29th of March that was simply not true. Now he has had to correct the gaffe, highlighting the fact he is not across his brief.” Shadow Minister for Health Martin Hamilton-Smith said.

“The Auditor-General has criticized the Minister for not taking a business case to Cabinet and for misstating the implementation costs for the Oracle financial system which has led to double payment of bills, unreconciled accounts and financial confusion across the portfolio requiring a multi-million dollar bail out. There has been inadequate management oversight.”

Minister Hill was asked questions last week about his lack of managerial attention to the introduction of the IT system and he wrongly replied:

“Oracle is a system which is used by most, if not all, government agencies other than Health. It is pretty well rolled out right across South Australian government agencies.”

But today, he has had to interrupt other business with a Ministerial statement which admits:

“Oracle is not, I am now advised, generally used in other departments in South Australia.”

“Yet again, the Health Minister got it completely and absolutely wrong. He is not across his brief on this expensive Oracle IT program and his attention to detail is poor.” Mr. Hamilton-Smith said.

“As a result, the Minister has had to divert Health funding from frontline services to put together a group of highly paid bureaucrats under Mr. Steve Archer at a cost of $10 Million over four years – this mess is of his own making.

“Questions now arise about this Minister’s ability to successfully implement other IT systems in Health, like the $408 Million Enterprise Patient Administration System (EPAS).”

South Australia Shadow Minister for Transport Vickie Chapman

More Train Closures Coming Soon

Victor P Taffa

People who catch Adelaide’s trains will soon be hit by unnecessary disruption when the Weatherill Labor Government starts electrification works that the Opposition says could have been completed during previous track closures.

Thousands of commuters had to catch other transport when sections of the Noarlunga and Gawler lines were recently closed to lay new sleepers and upgrade stations.

Shadow Minister for Transport, Vickie Chapman, said further disruption could have been avoided by scheduling the works at the same time.

“It would have made sense to complete electrification works while the lines were closed to replace sleepers and complete general upgrades.” Ms. Chapman said.

Just last month when asked about train line closures Minister Fox told ABC radio:

“if you’re going to shut it, then you might as well get everything done”

Ms. Chapman said people understand that upgrades often involve service disruptions but they expect that the Government will minimise disruption.

“Minister Fox needs to explain to train users what disruptions they will face for the next two years.”

South Australia Opposition Leader Isobel Redmond

South Australia Shadow Minister for Health & Ageing Martin Hamilton-Smith

Health Is Over The Hill

Victor P Taffa

Ten years of Labor and seven years of Health Minister Hill have delivered financial chaos and failures at emergency departments. It is time for Health Minister Hill to retire.

“After seven years in the job, Minister Hill has left South Australia with overstretched and under-resourced emergency departments. South Australia is now the worst performing state regarding compliance with the nationally agreed four-hour timeframe getting people out of emergency departments.” Liberal Leader Isobel Redmond said.

“Only one in four emergency patients and one in three urgent cases are not being seen within timeframe requirements across the Adelaide Health Service.”

“This situation has come to a head in recent weeks, with reports of eight ambulances ramping outside of the Flinders Medical Centre emergency department and crews being diverted to the southern suburbs to cope. The Opposition has also been informed that on Monday 19th March, the Lyell McEwin Hospital was flooded with 80 patients trying to squeeze into an emergency department with a capacity of 40.”

“On the 3rd of January, Ms. Stanislawa Gunther presented at Flinders Medical Centre in ambulance with a suspected stroke. She was not attended to by a doctor from 5pm until midnight, which experts have advised would have almost certainly prevented a permanent disability and now requiring the full-time care of her daughter and family.” Shadow Health Minister Martin Hamilton-Smith said.

SA Shadow Minister for Health Martin Hamilton-Smith

“The problems within our Health systems all trace back to the mismanagement of the Minister. He shirks responsibility, shifts blame elsewhere and has the wrong priorities.”

“Yesterday, the Minister finally tabled his department’s Annual Report, six months late. We are still waiting upon an Auditor-General’s report which is expected to savage the Minister’s maladministration of his botched Oracle IT system – a disaster from start to finish.”

“When you can’t run our hospitals, when you can’t pay your bills, when you can’t produce financial reports on time, when you fail audit, it’s time to go.” Ms. Redmond said.

South Australia Shadow Minister for Transport & Infrastructure Vickie Chapman

2,000 Transfield Buses Fail To Run On Time

Victor P Taffa

The Liberal Opposition is demanding Transport Services Minister Fox explain why she only issued a $14,500 fine to a private bus contractor after more than 2,000 of its buses failed to run on time.

An audit of metropolitan bus services obtained by the Liberals shows only 59 % of buses in Adelaide’s northern and southern regions ran on time from October to December last year.

Despite the appalling service, Minister Fox revealed two weeks ago she had only fined operator Transfield Services $14,536 for the period.

Liberal transport spokeswoman Vickie Chapman said the fines issued by Ms. Fox were totally inadequate and further demonstrated Labor’s incompetent management of government services.

“There is no point in having financial penalties if when they are imposed they are so low that the operators can just wear them.” Ms. Chapman said.

“Minister Fox is in Cabinet to deal exclusively with public transport and since she’s been in charge thousands of buses have failed to run on time.”

“People need to have a safe, clean, and reliable service to get to work and school but at the moment that is not being provided.”Ms. Chapman said.

“Across Adelaide only 75 % of buses ran on time during the period which is not acceptable.”

“It is time for the Premier to make Pat Conlon responsible for public transport again.” Ms. Chapman said.