POLICE, APY LANDS

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (16:33): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Leader of the Government, representing the Minister for Police, questions about the police plane.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: In May this year I asked the then minister for police (Hon. Paul Holloway) a question about the police plane used to transport officers to the APY lands, Coober Pedy and other remote areas on a weekly basis. I pointed out that my advice was that the plane would travel to the lands only three weeks out of every four, and my comments were dismissed by the then police minister. Police minister Holloway even went to the extent of making a ministerial statement on 7 May which did not answer anything and which stated that the police plane is used according to operational requirements.

My latest advice is that the police plane will now make trips every two weeks out of three, which is actually worse for officers working in the APY lands than was first anticipated. The reality is that weekly flights enabled a two week on, one week off roster, and these are the conditions the nine officers currently working on the lands signed on for at the time. My advice is that the officers are now working seven days and then having a one day break, seven days and having a one day break, seven days and another one day break, before then having six days off. Having been there, I know there is not a lot for these fellows to do in their time off while on the lands. They get a six day break during which they return to Adelaide before starting their roster once more.

I am also advised that a number of these officers will complete their tenure on the lands in early 2009 and that a number have indicated that they are unlikely to return under these conditions and that they believe SAPOL would struggle to fill these vacant positions. My questions to the former police minister are:

1. Will the minister acknowledge that I was correct with my assertion in May?

2. Does the new police minister agree that the current situation with the police plane will be counterproductive to attracting more officers to work on the APY lands and actually do something about it?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (16:35): I think the honourable member has missed the point of the answer I gave when I was police minister some time back and, what is more, I am well aware that the Police Commissioner fronted the Budget and Finance Committee of this Legislative Council and was asked a similar question, and he answered the question at that meeting. I think the Police Commissioner indicated that there were no budget constraints whatsoever affecting the use of the police plane; that is, it was available as required. The Police Commissioner indicated to me—and I am sure he would have indicated to the committee—that, as a result of the success of the enterprise bargaining arrangements with police to make serving on the APY lands and other remote areas more attractive, there has been less need to bring police into those areas on a temporary basis.

The Police Commissioner certainly told me at the time when I was police minister—and I have no reason to think it is any different—that the plane was available as required but, as a result of the actions taken by the government, fortunately, there was less need to move police through the lands because SAPOL was more successful in attracting police officers to the area—and that is something for which all South Australians ought to be grateful. I know that the Police Commissioner did stress at that committee that it was not a question of resources in relation to the use of the police plane. The police plane is available at the discretion of the police and it is used, when necessary, to transport the police officers.

One of the great benefits of the new plane bought by this government is that it is able to fly to the APY lands in one stop, and it is a much quicker and more comfortable plane than the previous aircraft which were available to the police. In summary, this government has greatly increased resources not just in the police air wing but also in police to the APY lands. Remember this was a problem—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: What I can say is that the Liberals had a great solution to this problem in their time: they did not have any police on the lands. What a wonderful solution that was—do not have any police on the APY lands. If you do not have police there, then you did not need any aircraft. Under this government, not only do we have a significant number of police on the lands (and that number is growing) but the police have been provided with a new Pilatus aircraft, which greatly improves the service that police can provide to those remote areas. That was the situation as I was aware of it as the former minister for police. If there is anything different, then I am sure my colleague the Minister for Police—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: Budget and Finance—

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: Budget and Finance, yes, but apparently the Liberals do not believe the Police Commissioner.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: We will get to the truth.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: We can see why this committee exists. The Police Commissioner comes in, gives evidence and confirms the point that I had made as the minister, but he does not believe him. He says, 'We will get to the truth.' In other words, they just do not accept anything this government has done. The record of this government in relation to police resources and policing on the APY lands is something which I would think members opposite would keep very quiet about, because their record is not a particularly good one.