South Australia Police

The Hon. A.L. McLACHLAN (14:37): If the police are successful in their search for innovation and find savings, will they be able to keep the savings and apply them to other initiatives in policing?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (14:38): I think the best way to answer that question is to remind the honourable member of the fact that this government remains committed to increasing SAPOL's budget. We are increasing SAPOL's budget. Since this government has come to office we have increased SAPOL's budget on average by 9 per cent per annum—extraordinary growth, an extraordinary sign of this government's commitment to increasing SAPOL's resources so they can get on with the business of keeping our community safe.

When SAPOL undertake their internal review, as they are, with this government's complete confidence and my endorsement as police minister, we will want them to do that so they can find ways so they can continue to allocate the resources, the extraordinary level of resources that this government has made available to them, in the most efficient, productive way possible to ensure that this community's safety, the South Australian community, continues to be preserved and indeed improved.