POLICE HANDGUNS

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (15:02): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Police a question about police equipment.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! I ask the Hon. Mr Stephens to ask his question again.

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Police a question about police equipment.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: I know that members are well aware, and no doubt welcome the news, that our frontline police officers will now be equipped with semiautomatic firearms which will replace the outdated revolvers SAPOL has been using for many years. For several years the opposition has called for this to happen. I personally have been happy to wear the taunts and insults that I have received from the Police Minister, including names such as 'Rambo' Stephens (which I wear as a badge of honour).

Finally, our officers are following the example of other states and we are arming our police with up-to-date equipment. I note that the Police Association's new President Mr Mark Carroll—and I congratulate him on his appointment—has welcomed the move and has started to lobby the government for support for the introduction of tasers for police officers.

Recently, I was in the northern Pit lands. I was made well aware of the situation that confronts our frontline police officers there, often when they are alone or, if lucky, with another police officer. Often they are confronted by up to 100 angry citizens hurling stones. When I say 'stones', I am not talking about pebbles (because I have seen them on the roofs of buildings on the lands) but, rather, big rocks. A policeman has said to me—

The Hon. G.E. Gago interjecting:

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: What is disgraceful is the fact that they are left up there—

The Hon. G.E. Gago interjecting:

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: I say to the honourable member that you are putting their lives in danger. I know that the police minister has been recalcitrant in introducing semiautomatic weapons. We want to know whether the minister will ask the Commissioner whether tasers can be trialled in the APY lands to protect our serving officers; and will it take the government as long to support the introduction of tasers across operational policing roles as it did to back the introduction of semiautomatic firearms?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Police, Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning) (15:04): First, I can only take up the point my colleague made by way of interjection. Members opposite took police officers off the APY lands and now talk about protection. There was no protection. What about the 2,000 people who lived there? What about the 2,000 residents of the lands who were left without any protection at all?

The honourable member was a little selective when he wanted the police to have a particular type of pistol—the Glock. The Police Commissioner and the department have done a comprehensive study—

The Hon. T.J. Stephens interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: The Police Department has done a comprehensive survey and has come up with the Smith and Wesson MP40, which is a superior weapon if for no other reason than its safety. It is a better weapon. If we had taken the advice of the Hon. Terry Stephens and rushed in and bought Glocks, our police officers would have a more dangerous weapon in terms of its safety features than the one that ultimately will be purchased. The same argument applies to the taser, as it can be a dangerous weapon. I am sure that the honourable member is aware that Amnesty International has called for the removal of the taser. There is a big debate about the conditions—

The Hon. T.J. Stephens interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: Some people have died as a result of these things. There are safety issues in relation to these weapons. The Commissioner has already indicated that they are issued to some police staff and they are looking at extending that, but there needs to be some limit to the operational equipment police officers have. They already have batons, handcuffs, spare ammunition, rifles and capsicum spray. One can keep on issuing endless pieces of equipment, but there must be a limit to what police officers physically can carry, and the equipment they have will vary from situation to situation.

If in the APY lands tasers are more suitable than capsicum spray or other weapons, then I am sure the Commissioner is the best person to determine that and I will trust his judgment in relation to those issues. I am happy to raise the point with him, but I point out again that the Commissioner has already indicated that he is looking at a more general extension of tasers. However, there has to be some limit to the amount of equipment police officers can physically carry. At the end of the day equipment is very important, but on most occasions police officers will rely on their training and skill at avoiding conflict, which should always be the priority of police officers.