Adelaide Women's Prison, Firearms Delivery

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (15:07): I have a supplementary question based on the minister's answer. Has the minister checked to see if the department or anybody else has actually broken the law? This was not a delivery van delivering perishable products to a prison that got the wrong address, this was a delivery van delivering highly-sophisticated firearms that are used for the protection of officers and inmates and the community when there are riots and things like that.

Those of us who are law-abiding citizens who have firearms' licences, if we want to buy a new firearm we have to go to an approved firearms dealer. We then have to supply all of the information, including the serial numbers, to SAPOL via that dealer and sign off on it. We then have to wait for clearance for that firearm to be then approved to be allocated to the licensed firearm owner.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Can you get to the question, please.

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE: There are clear processes for any licensed firearm owner in this state. My question is: has the minister discussed with the police commissioner having a look at whether there has been a clear breach, if not a complete breakdown, of the laws within the Firearms Act of South Australia regarding DCS and their procurement of these rifles?

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (15:09): I thank the honourable member for his concise question. I know the honourable member is probably weary, like many of us, as the result of a late night, but I did specifically state in my answer to the Hon. Ms Lee that the matter has already been referred to SAPOL with the specific view of ensuring that SAPOL conducts an investigation to ensure that if the law has been broken here that people will be held to account accordingly.

The issue has been referred to SAPOL already to determine whether or not a breach of the law has occurred in respect of the storage and management of firearms. Of course, if that has occurred, our expectation is that SAPOL then acts accordingly.