Illegal Tobacco Trade

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Leader of the Opposition) (14:15): My question again is to the Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services. When did the minister first speak to his Victorian counterpart about Victoria's illegal tobacco trade?

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN (Kavel—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Special Minister of State) (14:16): The conversations on operational matters, of course, are taken at an officer level from South Australia Police to Victoria Police, but as the leader is aware as a former police minister, one responsible for regrettably the under-resourcing of South Australia Police which has led to insufficient officers—

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order: the question was respectful and straightforward—standing order 98, the minister is well out of line.

The SPEAKER: I think the minister was giving some historical context to resourcing. I will allow—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Sit down please, deputy leader. The leader, I think you have been evicted from this place for about six sitting days in a row, and you asked for leniency yesterday because you are the leader. I am not giving you any leniency whatsoever. Everyone who is in here is expected to behave themselves and not to yell out. We have students in here from high school who always behave a lot better than some people in here. I am not going to tolerate any more of this. No phony points of order, no yelling out, no interjections, or people are just going to be asked to leave the chamber for the rest of question time. Deputy leader?

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Respectfully, standing orders 96 and 97 go to questions. The question was in relation to when the minister spoke to his Victorian counterpart. Standing order 98 suggests that the minister's answer must be germane to that question not the previous ones. I ask you to reconsider your earlier ruling.

The SPEAKER: I have already given you my answer. It is germane. He is talking about the resourcing of SAPOL, which is an important part of fighting against crime.

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The answer—and we are not even 35 seconds into the answer. I think the minister is framing his answer around some perspective of historic significance.

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I appreciate your additional direction. It is very important for us to reflect on the historical context, and if the leader wishes to raise concerns in relation to the resourcing of South Australia Police then it is entirely germane to the debate that no doubt we will have today about why it is that we have reached a position that additional resources need to be introduced to ensure that we have sufficient officers in South Australia Police.

Notwithstanding the very strong labour market to which the Premier has referred, the hard facts are these: in the life of the previous government there was not, in view of the challenges that we were facing in recruitment and which were known to the leader and to those opposite, sufficient investment in view of that trend to ensure that we would not arrive at the position that this government found itself in when it came to power. Through a review process internally, a decision was reached to ensure that there would be more than $12 million invested in—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: Are you just going to continue this interjection?

Members interjecting:

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: Are you just going to continue this interjection for the remainder of the answer or will I be heard?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Minister, I have asked you twice not to respond to the interjections. Continue with your answer.

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: Very well. As I say, more than $12 million was invested with respect to sworn officers and an additional investment was made in relation to PSOs. As the leader is well aware, there is a police ministers' conference. In the course of that conference, which is held reasonably regularly, all of the police ministers around Australia have an opportunity to ensure that information relevant to the types of investments necessary in South Australia Police, in Victoria Police, in Western Australian police, in Queensland police, in Tasmania Police, in ACT Policing and, indeed, in federal policing—

Mr Telfer: What about New South Wales?

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: And in New South Wales.

Mr Telfer: Northern Territory?

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: Indeed, in the Northern Territory as well and, in fact, in New Zealand as well. We do receive information in relation to New Zealand. There can be an exchange of information about what it is the state or the territory or the commonwealth can do at their respective levels of government to support their police forces. But there seems to be some confusion on the opposition side about what exactly it is that the government does with respect to policing and what exactly it is that an independent police force might do.

Let me just remind you and perhaps some of your former colleagues that South Australia Police is an independent agency. It values its independence. We value the advice of South Australia Police to government; we obviously act on that advice when it is provided. But our responsibility, and we take it very seriously, is to ensure that South Australia Police is adequately resourced to direct their policing and enforcement efforts to the concerns that we see in our community and to those policy initiatives that the government might wish to develop.

With respect to Operation Eclipse and a radio forum yesterday, the police commissioner indicated that there were 'tonnes of resources' available for Operation Eclipse.