Legislative Council Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1) 52 1 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Rundle Mall RUNDLE MALL The Hon. S.G. WADE Legislative Council RUNDLE MALL The Hon. S.G. WADE (15:46): I was in the mall last Friday night. I am happy to go there with the minister any time he wants to. Anyway, rather than making a disorderly response to invitations, I rise to ask this supplementary question: on Friday 7 October when the minister was in the mall, did he speak to any police officer about the application of state laws on that night or any other night, and what was their response? The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY Legislative Council Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations RUNDLE MALL The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (15:47): I actually did not speak to any police officers, but I did speak with the mayor. There were about 10 or 12 police officers in attendance, three of whom were on the greys. The thing that struck me then is that there is a perception that the most dangerous parts of Adelaide are down the western side of Hindley Street and I thought what a shame it was that all these police resources were actually in the mall looking at this quite disgraceful behaviour. I understand that these preachers have been very litigious. A number of police officers, I have been told, have been sued personally for their actions and a number of people who have actually signed affidavits have been sued by these preachers, so it is becoming much worse than just bad behaviour in the mall. It is actually getting out of order, where people are too frightened to confront them. The reality is that under this model by-law, the Adelaide City Council will be able to control or regulate the amplification, the stages. Having been there and heard the noise of, I think, three megaphones screeching out and having seen the preachers on their stages, if the council can actually regulate the way they confront people using the mall, they would be able to handle the problem instead of wasting very valuable police resources on this issue. The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Wade has a further supplementary question.