Police Recruitment

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:38): Supplementary: my understanding is that 43 per cent of yesterday's graduates were women. Can the minister tell us what proportion of the applications were from women?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (14:38): I am not too sure at what particular month the cohort of people who graduated yesterday put in their applications. What I can say is that, since the commissioner's announcement, and various SAPOL recruitment activities, my advice is that the number of applicants coming into SAPOL in terms of the number of women who have applied has increased, which is a good thing because it maximises the likelihood of more women working within the police force, and that is something that is to be commended.