Mount Gambier’s candidates for this month’s State Election took centre stage at The SE Voice’s candidate forum on Sunday afternoon.

Independent Troy Bell and Liberal Ben Hood were joined by Labor MLC Clare Scriven who had to stand in for Labor candidate Katherine Davies.

The event was emceed by local media personality Alan Richardson and was supported by the Mount Gambier City Council, which waived the hire fee for the City Hall session.

The SE Voice asked readers to submit questions for the candidates to be addressed at the event.

What are your thoughts on the resourcing levels of the Mount Gambier Hospital? Are they satisfactory? Or do you think more needs to be done? Please give examples.


Clare Scriven: We all know the hospital needs more resources.

One of the things in terms of personnel is we will legislate the nurse-to-patient ratio.

Labor has said we will not be spending $662m on a CBDC Adelaide basketball stadium.

In the Limestone Coast there will be an upgrade of Mount Gambier Hospital, a seven-year funding agreement with Keith hospital, doubling the size of the Mount Gambier mental health unit, and drug and alcohol services are a big issue.

Four community drug and alcohol beds in Mount Gambier.

Detox beds here in the region is something people have been talking about.

We hear a lot about ramping in Adelaide but also our local ambulance service here is under pressure.

We have committed to a 12-hour regional transport crew … in Mount Gambier and another in Keith.


Troy Bell: I think Labor has got this one 100% right.

I am trying to be objective but I want Marshall to at least match if not improve the commitment.

Sometimes in this role it is very difficult … many people in the previous government would come and talk to me about lack of care in the hospital.

I would have Jack Snelling in my office saying … I’m sick and tired of you bugging me about Mount Gambier Hospital … I said we need a review.

Our own bureaucrats, some of them at hospital … identified the emergency department was $500,000 underfunded and it highlighted where the deficiencies were.

That gave the government the mechanism to fix that.

I have sat down with Stephen Wade on three occasions talking about mental health … and then Stephen Wade instigates a review with the chief psychiatrist …. about communication and accountability.

We have wonderful nurses and doctors, but from time to time you work out people are working for the department.


Ben Hood: My wife Elle is a midwife at the hospital and has been for eight years ….

I have so much respect for Elle and for all the nurses and doctors and ambulance officers who work here in the Limestone Coast and I take my hat off to them.

There is more to be done.

Since 2018 the Liberals have put on 400 more doctors, 1000 nurses, spent $7.85b in 2021/22.

There is more to be done.

We are putting locals back in control with the Limestone Coast Local Health Network, they have done a review into Millicent and are now working on a review into Mount Gambier, looking at making sure it’s being run properly, making sure locals are being put in control.

We should not forget it was Labor that … built the new RAH which is a sinkhole … with 71 less beds.

There is more work to be done most definitely.

As we emerge from the COVID pandemic there seems to be a growing conversation about mental health.

Do you believe we are adequately resourced in Mount Gambier to deal with this?


Troy Bell: No we are not.

If I were to rank the issues housing affordability and homelessness would be number one.

I have got three women … who are over 50/60 cannot get a house leaving domestic violence.

I am pleased Labor has picked up my Future Mount Gambier plan in investing in mental health.

We really need to pivot in early intervention, it’s okay to have beds at the hospital but there’s a whole heap of damage being done before that, usually to themselves.

We should aim not to have them get through to the mental health ward at the hospital.

We have got wonderful people doing things.

I’m hoping the Federal Government’s Head to Health … provides that structure for early support.


Clare Scriven: I think the last two years mental health has increased.

Early intervention is absolutely vital.

We will send 100 specialists into schools … we have also announced 6 new mental health beds at Mount Gambier Hospital.

Some mental health conditions … are related to past drug and alcohol misuse.

We need to make sure the services are there that people expect.


Ben Hood: Mental health for me is a pretty big topic, something I’m extremely passionate about.

I have lost friends to suicide and been involved with fundraising… Early intervention needs to happen, we need to pick it up when these people are starting on their slow slope down.

In speaking with Leah from Lifeline … places like that are vital for that intervention.

Some places are coming out and saying that reasons for suicide are not abut mental health in the beginning, they are more about societal pressure.

Something I have personally considered to investigate in businesses we have OH&S officers, maybe we can train up people to be mental health officers .. to connect them with the right services very quickly.

I did put together a petition for satellite Head to Health … Tony Pasin will do all he can to complement services here.

To ensure we do have every opportunity to reach those people before they need it.

The government has improved services by $8.4m per annum.

There is more we need to do as to lose one more person to suicide is one too many.


And a couple of humorous questions from our readers:


What superpower would you choose for yourself?


Clare Scriven: On behalf of Katherine Davies, she would like to fly because she would like to be free throughout the world.


Troy Bell: I asked my daughter and she said to fly so you could be home at night instead of in Adelaide.


Ben Hood: I want to fly, I remember being a little kid and having a recurring dream of flying.


If you were an icecream flavour what would you be? And why?


Troy Bell: I went with fruit and nut because you have got to be a little bit of both to be in this game.


Clare Scriven: Katherine said boysenberry because she likes to think she has a streak of something different inside.


Ben Hood: Triple choc with nuts on top.