Youth and Street Gangs Task Force

Mr BATTY (Bragg) (15:01): My question is to the Minister for Police. Has the government given any extra resources to SAPOL for the new Youth and Street Gangs Task Force, and if not, why not? With your leave, sir, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr BATTY: The Commissioner of Police told the Budget and Finance Committee on 24 February that 'there are no extra resources'.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Treasurer, Minister for Defence and Space Industries, Minister for Police) (15:02): Perhaps next question time I will bring some sock puppets in for the benefit of the member for Bragg, because it seems that repeatedly explaining the facts of this situation doesn't allow him to arrive at some semblance of understanding plain English. The government has committed $300 million of extra resources to South Australia Police. A large amount of that money was for additional staffing. That extra money has enabled more people to be recruited to SAPOL's operations, thereby releasing more sworn officers onto frontline duties. Is this starting to penetrate at all? Is this some RP7-like explanation for you? Is it starting to penetrate through the rusty gears of your mind?

That extra resourcing, that extra funding, has enabled the creation of this new task force, bringing it together and allowing the extra resources to be provided to those service areas that were previously providing the staff for those two separate operations. That's the third time I have explained it to the fledgling member for Bragg. It seems that it's not sinking in. Perhaps it's wilful ignorance rather than just his misunderstanding. It is a remarkable effort. He has had it explained by the police minister on several occasions and by the police commissioner, and it still doesn't seem to gel. There are plain facts for the member for Bragg, but still it doesn't sink in.

The remarkable thing, though, is what sits behind this strategy because he peddled the story, of course, to the media over a week ago. The media, including The Advertiser, has run the story but here we are, finally he gets a question for the first time this year, as I understand, and he is still persisting. But maybe they were just keen to move on from the leader's strategy of criticising the government for acting to save the steelworks at Whyalla. I'm not sure.

What was served with the coffee that made you think it was worth giving Sanjeev Gupta $50 million of taxpayers' funds? Was it a Bacci? You strike me as a Raffaello kind of guy. Was it the white chocolate? Was it a $50 million Ferrero? Was that what it was? It's extraordinary that two people can have the same experience: one comes out and acts to save the steelworks and somebody else comes out and says, 'Let's give Sanjeev Gupta $50 million.'

The SPEAKER: Just a heads up for the Minister for Police: your sock puppets will be ruled out of order as a display, but interpretive dance, we may be open to that.