Red-Light Cameras

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (15:00): Supplementary, based on the minister's answer: where he said that he supports red-light cameras and other speed detection devices and would not be removing any, can the minister tell the chamber whether he actually supports the important road safety initiatives of traffic police and, if he does, why have so many traffic police been removed from the traffic police division?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (15:00): Well, let me just peruse back to 27 September 2001. This was a rather extensive answer back in 2001 and, when the honourable member walked past my desk previously, he pointed out the fact that it was a very good answer. You know what? He is absolutely right, because it is not the duty or the responsibility of the police minister to be telling the police commissioner where best to place his resources.

The duty and obligation of this government is to make sure that SAPOL is well resourced. Again, I refer the chamber to the fact that, since this Labor government was first elected in 2002, on average we have been increasing the SAPOL budget by approximately 9 per cent per annum—very substantial real growth to ensure that SAPOL has the resources it needs to be able to keep our community safe. I have to say that up to this point I think they have been doing a very good job, but of course we want them to continue to improve, which is why we continue to increase their resources.

How the police commissioner allocates those resources is an operational manner. It is, in very many respects, his prerogative. I am sure that the Hon. Mr Brokenshire does not want the Minister for Police to be sitting around every morning with a big map saying, 'I want police officers on this intersection, I want police officers hanging around Mount Compass, I want police officers hanging around Rob Lucas's home to see if I can catch him on something silly.' He does not want to see that happen. No-one wants to see that happen.

What we want to see happen is the police commissioner making the appropriate operational decisions that all South Australians want him to make, which is to make decisions about what is best likely to achieve an improved community safety, which means that I will not be jumping at every opportunity to intervene in what are legitimate operational police matters, and I am pretty sure Mr Brokenshire, in the cold light of day, would not want me doing that either.