Police Staffing

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:46): Supplementary question: given the minister has repeated on numerous occasions that we have record numbers of police—more per head of population than any other state—can he explain why methamphetamine use in Adelaide has tripled in the last five years?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (14:46): I thank the honourable member for his important question touching on an important—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Allow the minister—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: Go and talk to families whose lives have been destroyed by ice.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: You have to simplify it, don't you?

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: It's an illegal substance. Why has it tripled under your—

The PRESIDENT: Order! The honourable Leader of the Opposition and the minister will desist.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: You're the government.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the honourable Leader of the Opposition desist. I don't need the minister to aggravate him and stir him on.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: You should go out—

The PRESIDENT: You should be quiet and allow the minister to answer your question. Minister.

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: The honourable member might be aware that I have had the responsibility of chairing the ice taskforce. The government is in the process of formulating its response to the extraordinary efforts of the taskforce. During those interjections the honourable member was banging on about meeting families. I have met those families and have been nothing but moved by the pain and suffering that they experience as a result of this terrible drug.

The honourable member is right to point out that meeting families is an important part of the process. But, I tell you what, not once did those families want to see the politicisation of our police force. Not once have they thought that that would contribute to a safer community, yet the only thing we have heard from members opposite regarding policing in this state is a politicisation of the police force and for them to start telling the police commissioner what to do.

Now you ain't going to catch too many drug dealers sitting behind a desk at Henley Beach Police Station at 3 o'clock in the morning. We need those people out on the beat, and that is why we acknowledge and support the operational independence of the police commissioner in the exercising of police functions.