Drug Driving

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (15:21): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Road Safety a question relating to reports of increased incidents of drug driving in South Australia.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD: No doubt the minister is aware that recent figures have shown an alarming rise in incidents of drug driving on our roads. These figures indicate that motorists are six times more likely to test positive for drug driving than driving under the influence of alcohol—six times more likely. Across South Australia the number of drivers that have been caught driving whilst under the influence of illicit substances has increased from 1,525 in the financial year 2014-15 to 1,808 in this financial year just passed.

This issue is particularly relevant in communities such as the Barossa Valley and Mid North, where figures have shown significant increases in drug detection for those driving over the last financial year. My question to the minister is: what changes does the government propose to implement or is considering presenting to this parliament in order to curb the unacceptably high incidence of drug drivers on our roads?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (15:22): I would like to thank the Hon. Dennis Hood for his question because it is a matter of important public policy. As has been stated previously by myself in this place, and also on radio, I have been rather alarmed at some of the statistics that are coming to the fore regarding drug driving generally. I would like to thank the Hon. Dennis Hood for his strong advocacy in this area because it is a very important issue.

Approximately 24 per cent of all people who died in 2015 on our roads, or drivers who were killed on our roads, tested positive for drugs—almost a quarter. That is an astonishing statistic, that almost a quarter of all people who were killed on our roads were found positive for drugs.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: That statistic is alarming, but another statistic that tends to be alarming is the rate of repeat drug driving offences. I am particularly concerned about the fact that there are a number of people who find themselves on our roads who have committed more than one offence regarding drug driving. As a consequence of this, as I have indicated previously, I have undertaken a bit of an exercise within agencies that I deal with to have a look at the way our drug driving laws are set up and see if we have the mix of responses right when it comes to things like the fine regime, the demerit point regime, the level of disqualification that applies to people once they—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Point of order: the honourable minister is on his feet trying to give an answer to a question asked very respectfully in this place and we have members of the opposition in here showing absolutely no respect to either the person asking the question or the minister who wants to answer it. It is appalling behaviour and the Leader of the Opposition—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: —should know better.

The PRESIDENT: There are two things. First of all, while someone is giving a point of order, I think that person should be able to give that point of order without interjection. Secondly, I have seen this sort of banter across the chamber from both sides. In this chamber, I think we are all grown up enough to be able to accept a little bit of banter. It obviously wasn't especially—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: Hear, hear!

The PRESIDENT: Not while I'm talking. Honourable minister, are you finished?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: No.

The PRESIDENT: You can continue and I expect the honourable minister to be able to finish his answer in silence.

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: I have to say that I have been somewhat relieved at the fact that members opposite, particularly the Leader of the Opposition in this place, have decided to spend some time thinking about public policy in respect of Corrections because, as far as I can tell, his mind has been elsewhere recently, dealing with internal politics, rather than thinking about public policy. So, I have to say that I have been somewhat relieved. To take myself back to the question—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Allow the minister to finish his answer.

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: The exercise that I have undertaken has been to engage the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure and SAPOL to seek advice from them about what would be the appropriate response to be able to deal with the issue of drug driving. It has been a piece of work that has been undertaken now for some months, and I am pleased to advise the Hon. Mr Hood that I would very much hope to have a detailed policy response that I can take to cabinet in coming weeks for its consideration. I think there is room for improvement in the existing regime and I look forward to reporting back to the chamber and, indeed, publicly once those considerations have been undertaken by the cabinet.