Police Station Opening Hours

Mr MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Leader of the Opposition) (15:12): My question is to the Minister for Police. Does the minister back police and agree with the acting police commissioner that extra police officers should be on the front line and not behind desks?

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order, sir: explanations can only be introduced to questions with the leave of the house. No leave was sought; the question is therefore out of order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: We can provide an instruction manual to the Leader of the Opposition.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I will listen to the question. There are three minutes left. Would the leader like to rephrase the question?

Mr MALINAUSKAS: I'm happy to rephrase the question.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! There are three minutes left. It's your question time.

Mr Mullighan interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Lee, it's your question time. There are two minutes now left. Leader of the Opposition.

Mr MALINAUSKAS: I'm happy to rephrase, Mr Speaker. My question remains to the Minister for Police. Does the Minister for Police back police officers being on the front line rather than behind desks?

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD (Gibson—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (15:13): I thank the inquisitive member again. Whilst he again continues to ask the same question, I will give him the same answer because things don't change.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The minister will be heard in silence. The Minister for Police has the call.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: Again, the Leader of the Opposition wants to yell and scream and carry on and give stare downs, and I understand that, I am going to be abundantly clear.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Allow the minister to be heard in silence. The minister has the call.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Reynell will cease interjecting please. Let's hear it.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: The member for Elizabeth interjects. He always gets bumped out of all of these questions. I'm not sure why. But I appreciate the Leader of the Opposition coming to me with this question and again the answer is this: today is the day that police roll out their district policing model, and we are supportive of the police district model. We want to make sure that it keeps people safe and we will work with the commissioner to make sure that it has the outcomes that all South Australians want.

But on top of that—let me reiterate that point: on top of that—we are going to be extending police station opening hours and we are going to do it in Norwood and in Glenelg and also in Henley Beach. So what we are saying is that the services that are there will continue. Let me be clear because—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —for some reason, you can be given the title of opposition leader but still not be very smart. So let me be clear. We are going to deliver the model that they wanted put in place and we are going to add to that extra resources to deliver police stations opening for a few more hours. People are appreciative of that. People want that service. We are making sure that people across the board are being taken forward.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: I hear the cackling from the other side of people who want to close police stations. They don't want to give better services to South Australia and they should be ashamed. They should be ashamed because on this side of the house we want to give better services. We want to give more jobs and lower costs—a commitment we made—but they cackle away and they cackle away—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —as we get about delivering for the people of South Australia. I look forward to doing that and the people of South Australia look forward to receiving better services.