Premier's Taskforce

Mr BATTY (Bragg) (14:31): My question is to the Minister for Police. Will the minister release the findings and recommendations of the Premier's Taskforce into South Australia Police recruitment and retention issues and, if so, when?

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN (Kavel—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Special Minister of State) (14:31): I appreciate the question from the shadow minister. As the shadow minister is aware, the government made a commitment to review the circumstances South Australia Police found itself in on coming to government. That process has ensured that there is ongoing investment in South Australia Police.

The first and most significant investment that I want to highlight to the house is that which the Premier has touched on. It became very clear, as a consequence of the task force process and other submissions made to government, that there had been insufficient and inadequate investment in police recruitment. As you will appreciate, that investment needed to be made to stop a decline in the number of police graduates at a much earlier time in order to avoid the circumstances that necessitated that investment.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: In fact, despite the interjection suggesting that the rot had set in at an earlier time, the hard truth is that the investment needed to be made around about halfway through the life of the Marshall government. It would have been plain on its face to any police minister—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my left!

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: —and any other member of cabinet serving—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Chaffey will leave the chamber until the end of question time. I remind the minister that he needs to stop engaging with those opposite and their interjections. This is the final warning because you can't continue to defy the Chair.

The honourable member for Chaffey having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: Thank you. Mr Speaker; some additional context is important, I would submit to you, in relation to this question because it goes to the purpose, the nature of the review and the reason for it, and I am touching entirely on those matters. The response that the opposition has to my commentary, of course, is wholly within their control. The concern that I have reviewing the information now available to government is that a very substantial investment in recruitment needed to be made midway through the Marshall government, and it would have been plain as day—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Flinders can also leave the chamber until the end of question time. He might want to get onto Qantas and get an earlier flight back to Lincoln.

The honourable member for Flinders having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: It was plain as day that that investment was required. It would have been obvious to the police minister, it would have been obvious to his cabinet colleagues and it would, I am sure, have been advice coming to government. That investment wasn't made and the result of that, of course, has been that an urgent and important injection of funds has been made by this government in consequence of the review process to ensure that we can see additional recruits joining South Australia Police, but not just recruits—graduates. One of the sleights of hand engaged in by those opposite was a release or suggestion to the media that there had been a gap between the graduates—

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: The minister will resume his seat.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Standing order 98: that sort of phrasing clearly makes it clear that the minister is debating.

The SPEAKER: I think he is giving context in his answer, and his answers do go for four minutes.

The Hon. J.A.W. Gardner: Will he release the report was the question.

The SPEAKER: He still has 50 seconds.

The Hon. J.A.W. Gardner: He's building up to the yes or no.

The SPEAKER: Yes, well, it's keeping everyone in suspense.

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: As I say, the outcome of those investments have been very, very important not only to South Australia Police but to the South Australian community. The result, despite a contrary view peddled by those opposite, is that at the end of the last financial year the number of graduates from South Australia Police was 262 and the number of separations was 239. We are now increasing the number of sworn police officers we have in South Australia Police in consequence of the review to which you refer, and in consequence of these very substantial investments not only in recruitment but also in recruiting police security officers to support our force overall. Cabinet continues to rely, in my view, on that report and on that reporting process, and will continue to do so, and it is an important process which, as I say, has informed ongoing decisions.