Power Outages, Telecommunications

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:13): I seek leave to make an explanation—

The PRESIDENT: Is it to the minister?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Yes.

The PRESIDENT: He had to take a very important phone call.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Well, it is question time.

The PRESIDENT: Unfortunately, under these extreme circumstances, there could be some information he needs.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Mr President, the Hon. Mr Lucas may like to ask his question, and I will attempt to help him.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: You would be no help at all.

The PRESIDENT: Order! He might be back in a minute. The Hon. Mr Dawkins, would you like to have yours now?

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: Mine is to the Minister for Police.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Ms Vincent, your question is to whom?

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT: Also to the Minister for Emergency Services.

The PRESIDENT: Under the circumstances, we will hold the clock.

The minister now being present, activate the clock. The Hon. Mr Lucas.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: I seek leave to make an explanation prior to directing a question to the Minister for Emergency Services on the subject of yesterday's event.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: The minister was asked a question earlier in question time today about 000 services and on two separate occasions he was unequivocal about denying that there had been any advice or any suggestion that the 000 services had gone down. In fact, Hansard records him as saying:

I want to be clear and…state what I have already stated before just for the sake of clarity. There is no suggestion and there have been no reports that the 000 service has gone down at any point or has not been able to deal with the incoming calls.

Yesterday, SA Police News tweeted the following advisory:

Triple Zero services down in some in some isolated areas. Attend nearest hospital, police or fire station if needed. police.sa.gov.au/sa-police-news…

That official advisory from SA Police is clearly contrary to the advice minister Malinauskas has given this house on two separate occasions this afternoon, when asked a direct question.

He was asked it first and he gave that response, he was then given the opportunity to clarify, and he got antsy about it all and put on the record again, 'There is no suggestion and there have been no reports that the 000 service has gone down'. My question to the minister is: was the SA Police official advisory yesterday not telling truth about 000, or is minister Malinauskas this afternoon not telling the truth about the 000 service?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (15:20): I am happy to repeat what I said earlier today: I have not received any advice from anybody that the 000 service's capacity to be able take calls at any point has gone down.