South Australia Police Corporate Programs

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (15:29): By way of supplementary question: given that the minister unexpectedly called in to the Ali Clarke radio interview, over the top of a SAPOL superintendent who was responding to my concerns, which related to issues of an operational nature, can we now expect to receive more fulsome answers on these subjects from the minister in this place?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (15:29): Let me seek to clarify some of the Hon. Mr Dawkins remarks in regard to the radio interview. I did not call in—

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: You rang in over the top of the officer.

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: I didn't call in over the top of any officer.

The PRESIDENT: No debate on the floor. The minister is answering a question.

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: I was invited by the ABC radio program to come on that morning, as I understand it, and do an interview, and being a minister of this government I am all too happy to be accessible to the media to answer important questions they have. What I will not do, though, is abuse my position of authority with the aim of inciting fear within the community about how reforms will have a detrimental impact upon community services.

I will not abuse any office, whether it be a minister or a member of the backbench. I will not be abusing any officer for as long as I am lucky enough and fortunate enough to be in this place, with the objective of trying to create fear within the community that services will be cut when that is not the case. Instead, of course, I will make myself available to the media to ensure that facts are inserted in any debate, but I want to correct the Hon. Mr Dawkins in his suggestion that somehow I was calling in over an officer. Of course, I would never do any such thing. I have undertaken to seek the information the Hon. Mr Dawkins is after, and I will do everything I can to make that information available to him, despite his protestations and fearmongering within the community.

The PRESIDENT: Before I call the honourable minister, the Hon. Mr Dawkins, a little while ago you got up and made a point of order about people interjecting while ministers are on their feet. Now, you have just done the same on a number of occasions since that point of order. I think it is important that you lead by example, and I would now like to hear minister Hunter.