Former Health Minister John Hill’s criticisms of the SA health system are the height of hypocrisy given Mr Weatherill and Labor have been in government for almost 12 years.
“Mr Hill and his Labor Government must accept their share of responsibility for the position South Australia’s health system currently finds itself in,” said Shadow Health Minister Rob Lucas.
“Mr Hill argues the health system will become unsustainable unless tough decisions are made.
“However, there is no evidence either he or the Labor Government were prepared to take those hard decisions over the last 12 years.
“Virtually every year Mr Hill was Minister he blew out his health budget by tens or hundreds of millions of dollars.
“In fact Mr Hill never saw a budget that he couldn’t blow out!
“Those decisions Mr Hill and his Labor Government did take have just added to the problem through massive centralisation of decision making and financial mismanagement.
“This is no more evident than the Weatherill Labor Government’s mismanagement of IT projects, such as the rollout of the Oracle Corporate System across SA Health.
“The project has blown out by $40 million – it was originally budgeted to cost $22 million, but will now cost $62 million.
“Mr Hill’s criticism also highlights more division and disunity in the Weatherill Labor Government’s ranks.
“What does current Health Minister, Jack Snelling, think about his colleague’s comments?
“South Australians continue to see division and disunity in Labor’s ranks on a weekly basis, including leaks to the media designed to damage Premier Weatherill’s leadership.
“South Australians deserve a Government with better priorities to get our State back on track.”