Legislative Council Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2) 53 2 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Drug-Related Sentencing Drug-Related Sentencing The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS Legislative Council Drug-Related Sentencing The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (15:33): Supplementary question: minister, are you convinced that we are putting enough police resources into tackling drugs? Are there areas of policing that we could be directing towards the fight against drugs? The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS Legislative Council Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety Drug-Related Sentencing The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (15:33): I thank the Hon. Terry Stephens for his question. Yes, I am satisfied that SAPOL are throwing a lot of resources at this issue. Obviously, I have a regular conversation with the police commissioner regarding a range of matters. I am not at liberty to go into all of those discussions, but this has been a topic of discussion on a regular basis. I believe that SAPOL understand and are very conscious of the severity of the issue and are seeking to respond accordingly. Of course, police resources is one of the issues that we will be looking at during this task force that we are putting together. If there is ever a list of items that SAPOL say they need or an investment on behalf of the state government that they think would make a big difference for them to be able to have an impact on the front line, then that of course is taken into consideration. SAPOL regularly conduct a number of operations. Many of them get public attention; many of them do not for genuine operational reasons, but this is something that the police, I believe, are taking seriously. Of course, being one of the best and most well-resourced police forces in the country, they are enabled to be able to do that.