Police Workers Compensation

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:46): I direct my question to the Minister for Police. Has the minister been advised of any concern by SAPOL at the government's decision to transfer the management of all workers compensation claims after 1 July 2017 to ReturnToWorkSA and, if so, what were SAPOL's concerns? In particular has the minister been advised by SAPOL that the cost to the SAPOL budget may well be increased as a result of the government's decision?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (15:47): I am happy to take that on notice, but to the best of my recollection as it stands I am not aware of receiving any formal pieces of advice or formal briefs from SAPOL regarding any concern they have around changes to workers compensation arrangements in terms of case management. That is equally true regarding potential costs. However, what I am happy to refer to at a higher level is that I have spoken to the police commissioner about this issue. Naturally the police commissioner and I speak regularly on a whole range of different issues, including substantial changes to administrative processes that will impact upon SAPOL—and, of course, this is substantial change.

A number of sworn officers do find themselves subject to workers compensation claims which are currently managed internally. That arrangement changing will potentially have a significant impact on SAPOL, but the police commissioner has not raised any specific concerns with me around that in a formal sense. Naturally we have discussed what the government's policy objectives are.

There is a view within SAPOL and certainly within the SAPOL leadership that SAPOL do this job well as it currently stands, but they have not raised any specific concerns with me about any reason to believe that this change would have a fundamentally detrimental impact upon them, notwithstanding the fact that they do believe that they already perform this function well. I am happy to take on notice the question you have asked around formal advice. I cannot recall that, off the top of my head, but I am more than happy to double-check that and bring the answer back.