Youth Offender Bail Laws

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Leader of the Opposition) (14:17): My question is again to the Premier. When will the government complete its review of South Australian bail laws? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: It was reported today that the South Australian Law Reform Institute would undertake a bail law review, something that the opposition has been calling for for around the last two years.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Treasurer, Minister for Defence and Space Industries, Minister for Police) (14:18): It's interesting, isn't it, that the Leader of the Opposition says they have been thinking about doing something for two years and we still don't have a proposition? Of course, we are all aware that there has been an intersection—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Flinders will leave the chamber for the rest of question time.

The honourable member for Flinders having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: —between criminal justice agencies and the opposition leadership, hasn't there, which might have interrupted their policy formulation in recent times. Maybe that explains the delay.

The SPEAKER: Minister, the deputy leader has a point of order.

Mr TEAGUE: There is a point of order under standing order 98: the minister is debating the point when he needs to answer the question, and he has moved directly onto what sounds like a form of distraction from what is a clear question that needs to be answered.

The SPEAKER: I listened to the question from the leader, and leave was sought and leave was granted where the leader talked about the opposition. In listening to the minister's response, he is responding to and answering the question but also responding to those matters that were introduced after leave was sought. So we will return to the minister, who can continue his answer.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Thank you, Mr Speaker. As I understood the question, and in particular the explanation from the Leader of the Opposition, he was explaining that over the last two years the opposition has had opportunities to become familiar with criminal justice agencies.

Mr TEAGUE: Point of order: the minister has flagged the subject matter of this distraction. It's a point of order under standing order 98. The minister is now defying your ruling, Speaker. I ask you direct him back to the question.

The SPEAKER: Deputy Leader, this is a bogus point of order. He is not defying anything, he is answering the question and he is responding to the explanation that was given when leave was granted by the chamber to do it. The Minister for Police.

The Hon. D.G. Pisoni: What is Bernie Finnigan doing these days, anyway?

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley will leave the chamber for the rest of question time.

The honourable member for Unley having withdrawn from the chamber:

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Florey will come to order.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: The Attorney has made it clear, indeed on radio this morning, that he expects advice to him on the appropriate specific changes to the bail laws in the coming weeks. On top of that, in the broader reforms that were announced today, there will be immediate action that will continue under this government as we have already taken action over the last three years in a series of legislative changes. In fact, I think there have been nearly 30 legislative changes sponsored by the Attorney-General, as well as other ministers, to strengthen our legislative regime to better protect the public at the same time that we have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in our police and in our criminal justice agencies.

That is the record of a government that is investing heavily and toughening laws to better protect our community. That is the record of this government. If those opposite think that they have a better story to tell when it comes to criminal justice, when it comes to protecting the community, they should articulate it because they don't have that record, they don't have a record of coming up with specific reforms and prosecuting them as a political party.

The countdown is now on. We are 12 months out from the next state election. We have had three years of silence from those opposite, amidst the turmoil and the comings and goings and leavings and all of the other distractions that those opposite have had, including their direct interactions with criminal justice agencies, but we have been getting on with the job, toughening our laws, investing in our police, investing in our criminal justice agencies to better protect the community.

We had not been left with a very good record from those opposite after their term in government, but we are trying to make sure that not only can we invest more heavily in our criminal justice agency and toughen our laws, but we can give confidence to the community that we are making the changes and the investments necessary to keep them safe.