Police Workers Compensation

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (14:45): I seek leave to make a brief explanation prior to directing a question to the Minister for Police on the subject of workers compensation.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: In response to a question from my colleague the Hon. Mr Dawkins in December of last year the Minister for Police said in this house, and I quote:

SAPOL provide a range of services that go beyond the ordinary entitlements that an employee would have in terms of return to work. For instance, SAPOL does have an employee assistance section, whose job it is to provide services to those employees who have had to deal with traumatic circumstances; for instance, those employees who have attended roadside crashes—something that has certainly been topical during the course of this week and today—or those SAPOL officers who had to endure and perform incredibly difficult tasks during the course of the event that unfolded throughout metropolitan Adelaide and concluded in Hindley Street early last week.

Those are examples of circumstances that police officers may have to face which would result in them potentially gaining access to the employee assistance section that exists within SAPOL to provide mental health services and other services to those employees who may be struggling. None of that is changing.

My question to the minister is: does he stand by that statement, and I quote, 'None of that is changing.'

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (14:47): Changing on the back of what? I have not received any briefing from SAPOL regarding changes to the employee assistance section, which does important work, that arise out of changes to workers compensation service provision—potential changes to external case managers. We are in active conversations with the Police Association of South Australia and indeed with SAPOL leadership, specifically the police commissioner, about things we can continue to improve upon regarding provision of services around potential psychological injuries or mental health issues for police officers. But I have not received any advice from SAPOL regarding a change to the employees assistance section that would arise from changes to workers compensation arrangements.