House of Assembly Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1) 54 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time South Australia Police South Australia Police The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN House of Assembly Lee South Australia Police The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee) (14:11): Can the minister rule out any cuts to sworn or unsworn staff, to police vehicles or equipment? The Hon. C.L. WINGARD House of Assembly Gibson Minister for Police Minister for Recreation South Australia Police The Hon. C.L. WINGARD (Gibson—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:11): The point I want to make about this question, again, that I did outline in estimates, is that when I did go back over the budget figures—in fact, I probably have them somewhere handy—I looked back at the cuts that the previous government had made. Whilst you are talking about the— The Hon. S.C. Mullighan interjecting: The Hon. C.L. WINGARD House of Assembly The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: No, that was $80 million, I think, that your government had cut over forward estimates— The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Order! The Hon. C.L. WINGARD House of Assembly The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —which is quite phenomenal. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The minister has the call. The Hon. C.L. WINGARD House of Assembly The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: It's funny because when I brought up in estimates the cuts that your government had put in place that were sitting on the budget papers when I got into the chair, you went quiet. The Leader of the Opposition went very quiet when they were raised because it was phenomenal, the cuts that had been put in place by the previous government— Mr Malinauskas interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Leader, please. The Hon. C.L. WINGARD House of Assembly The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: —which totalled around $80 million. It was phenomenal, but that's what your government did. That's what you put in place. I would like to see you take more responsibility— Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Will members remain quiet. I am trying to listen to this answer. The Hon. D.C. van Holst Pellekaan interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: No, don't point me to the other side of the chamber because members on my right are responding to members on my left and I am trying to understand the minister answering the question. I am listening to the minister. Members will be leaving the chamber if they don't listen to this answer in silence. The Hon. C.L. WINGARD House of Assembly The Hon. C.L. WINGARD: Thank you again, Mr Speaker. It has been very rowdy from the other side today, I must say. They get rowdy when the facts are put in front of them and they are facts that they don't like. That is what we are doing here. I outlined this very clearly in budget estimates. I think I went over the four years and it might have been $10 million in the first year that they had put in line for cuts to police and then it jumped up to maybe $15 million or $16 million—it could have been $17 million—and then it pushed into the high 20s by the fourth year, I think. To see the $80 million of cuts that they put into the budget—that the previous government put in there to police—and then want to come and talk about efficiencies that we have put in is just quite phenomenal. They go really quiet when they are questioned on the cuts that they put in place, but they want to address any efficiencies that we put into the system. We will be working with police and will be making sure that we deliver the best service we can for all South Australians when it comes to our police force.