House of Assembly Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1) 54 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Police Station Opening Hours Police Station Opening Hours Mr MALINAUSKAS House of Assembly Croydon Leader of the Opposition Police Station Opening Hours Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (14:36): Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is to the Minister for Police. Has the minister received any advice about the impact of extending police station opening hours on front-line police numbers or police response times? The Hon. D.G. Pisoni House of Assembly The Hon. D.G. Pisoni: Yes—there will be more service. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The Minister for Industry is warned. The Hon. D.G. Pisoni interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The Minister for Industry is warned for a second and final time. Minister. The Hon. C.L. WINGARD House of Assembly Gibson Minister for Police Minister for Recreation The Hon. C.L. WINGARD (Gibson—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:36): Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, and again I will speak slower so that the leader on the other side can hear. What I can tell the leader is that at the last election we made a commitment. We made a commitment to extend police station opening hours. What we did was we made a commitment to the people of the electorate of Colton, which is around Henley Beach, around the Henley Beach Police Station. We made a commitment to the people of Morphett, around the Glenelg area, and also to the people in Norwood, in the electorate of Dunstan. What we said to them at this election was: if we win, we will extend the opening hours of your police station. We made that abundantly clear. That was the policy, and we will do it. I know he's impatient, but for 16 years he did nothing. Actually, in those 16 years he chopped police station opening hours— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. C.L. WINGARD House of Assembly The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —chopped them. In fact, I think he chopped one in the electorate of Hallett Cove or the area of Hallett Cove. He closed police stations; that was his mantra. That's what they wanted to do on the other side. We have made a policy, and we have put a policy in place to increase police station opening hours to give better service. Hearing the Premier talk about the future frigates, the $35 billion in future frigates coming to South Australia, which will deliver more jobs, and then I look at our policy just a couple of weeks ago to return the ESL remissions to South Australians, which is putting more money back in people's pockets, lowering costs, and then the better services— Mr MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Mr MULLIGHAN: Point of order: standing order 98 states that answers may not contain debate. He is clearly debating by referencing other initiatives and projects. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: I will listen carefully but, minister, I do ask that you please return to the substance of the question. The Hon. C.L. WINGARD House of Assembly The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! Minister. The Hon. C.L. WINGARD House of Assembly The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: Yes, you are right, Mr Speaker. I am talking about the good stuff and they don't like it on that side and it amuses me. What I am talking about is the policy we took to the election, which was about more jobs, lower costs, better services, a big mantra that we took to the election. I was just explaining to the member for Lee, and he will be keen on those jobs that are coming down his way as well with the future frigates, of course, down Port Adelaide way. There is $35 billion in the future frigates. There is the ESL money going back— Mr MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Mr MULLIGHAN: Point of order: standing order 98. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: I believe that the minister is coming to the substance of the question fast. The Hon. C.L. WINGARD House of Assembly The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I keep getting interjected and I have to plant myself again. It makes me laugh, Mr Speaker. It really makes me laugh that they don't like the good news. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left! The Hon. C.L. WINGARD House of Assembly The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: And it's really good to be serving up good news as a government in this state because we are taking South Australia forward. I will just recap. I have mentioned the $35 billion for the frigates, I have mentioned the ESL, and I am talking about the better services now— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. C.L. WINGARD House of Assembly The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —and part of that, that we are supplying to the people of South Australia, is what they wanted at the election. We are delivering that, and that is increasing the police station hours in those electorates. As far as the district police model is concerned— Mr MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Mr MULLIGHAN: Point of order, Mr Speaker: the minister has had nearly three minutes to come to the substance of the question. He is continuing to debate— The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The point of order is debate. The minister is coming to the substance of the question. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The minister is coming to the substance of the question, he is. Minister. The Hon. C.L. WINGARD House of Assembly The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: I can't mention Muppets, I just can't. I can't do it because— The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: No, you can't; do not. The Hon. C.L. WINGARD House of Assembly The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —I want to talk about what we are delivering for the people of South Australia. The district policing model will be implemented along with our commitment to open the police stations that we have outlined. We will be delivering on that commitment. I know those on the other side don't like it, but we will be delivering.