House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2) 52 2 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Question Time Policing Priorities POLICING PRIORITIES Dr McFETRIDGE House of Assembly Morphett POLICING PRIORITIES Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (14:58): My question is to the Minister for Police. Why is the government's priority to crack down on jaywalking, with the doubling of jaywalking fines issued, when there have been five shootings in Adelaide in the last week and nearly 11,000 guns are missing in South Australia? The Hon. P.F. CONLON House of Assembly The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Point of order, Madam Speaker. Again— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! Members interjecting: The Hon. P.F. CONLON House of Assembly The Hon. P.F. CONLON: I'd be careful, Mitch, you might not have three votes anymore. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. P.F. CONLON House of Assembly The Hon. P.F. CONLON: The member for Morphett cannot ask a question that— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. P.F. CONLON House of Assembly The Hon. P.F. CONLON: —contains argument. Dr McFetridge House of Assembly Dr McFetridge: Fact. The Hon. P.F. CONLON House of Assembly The Hon. P.F. CONLON: They're arguing again! He has argued that it is the government's priority to tackle jaywalking and not shooting; it's an argument. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! I do uphold that point of order. The Attorney-General may wish to answer it. The Hon. J.R. RAU House of Assembly Enfield Deputy Premier Attorney-General Minister for Planning Minister for Business Services and Consumers The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Planning, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (14:59): The government takes firearms offences very seriously and we have— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. J.R. RAU House of Assembly The Hon. J.R. RAU: I might be wrong but I thought the reference to jaywalking was an attempt at levity or humour to sort of lighten up the question. Members interjecting: The Hon. J.R. RAU House of Assembly The Hon. J.R. RAU: I am reliably informed— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Attorney-General has the floor. The Hon. J.R. RAU House of Assembly The Hon. J.R. RAU: I do understand that many people get killed jaywalking, so that is a serious matter. But on the firearms point, it has been made clear publicly now that the government is very close to finalising a raft of legislation relating to firearms offences. That will be brought into the parliament shortly. I think you will find that those people who misuse firearms, and those people who are wrongly in possession of firearms, and those people who— Ms Chapman interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Bragg will leave the chamber for the rest of question time. The honourable member for Bragg having withdrawn from the chamber: Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! Attorney. The Hon. J.R. RAU House of Assembly The Hon. J.R. RAU: I think you will find that those people who misuse firearms, those people who are in possession of unregistered firearms, those people who commit offences involving firearms, are going to be in extremely serious trouble. The parliament will have an opportunity to examine and consider those laws in that bill very shortly. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Ashford.