Question Time

South Australia Police

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:18): I seek leave to make a brief explanation prior to addressing questions to the Attorney-General regarding statements made during question time yesterday.

Leave granted.

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO: During yesterday's question time, the Attorney-General made several statements, time stamped in Hansard at 2.37pm, 2.41pm and again at 2.48pm, about the former Liberal government reducing the police budget by tens of millions of dollars, when in fact the former Liberal government increased the South Australian police budget by just over $250 million over the four years of the Liberal government. This represents an increase of approximately 30 per cent overall. These figures clearly show—

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO: We've got the budget papers here, if you would like—

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO: Over the four-year term.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO: It is clearly shown in the 2017-18 Budget Statements on page 29, where it shows that $832 million was spent in Labor's last budget and, on page 22 of the Budget Statements of 2021-22, that the last of the Liberal government's budgets clearly shows over $1 billion being spent at that date. As I indicated, this is absolute proof that the former Liberal government increased expenditure on South Australia's police by around $250 million, in other words in the order of 30 per cent.

Despite this, during question time yesterday the Attorney said that the previous government (time stamped at 2.37pm in the Hansard) was, 'cutting the police budget, ripping $50 million, I understand, out of the police budget'. Again, a direct quote from the Hansard, 'making massive, tens of millions of dollars of cuts, to SAPOL.'

Yet again, time stamped at 2.41pm in the Hansard, the Attorney said that the Liberal government had, 'tens of millions of dollars being cut from the police budget as opposed to tens of millions…being invested in the…budget.' Again, time stamped at 2.48pm in the Hansard the Attorney said, 'The Hon. Ben Hood's party, when in government, slashed tens of millions of dollars [out of] the police budget', and also, 'The Liberals slash and burn, reduce community safety'.

As I have clearly demonstrated from this, the Attorney-General's statements were completely factually incorrect. My questions to the Attorney are:

1. Will the Attorney acknowledge the facts, as clearly demonstrated in the relevant Budget Statements, that the previous Liberal government actually increased police spending by some $250 million or around 30 per cent, despite his statements to the contrary; if not, why not?

2. How on earth did the Attorney come up with these completely incorrect conclusions from yesterday's question time?

3. Finally, will the Attorney retract these outrageous statements from yesterday and correct the record?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State) (14:21): It has been brought to my attention that I need to make a clarification in relation to figures used for the police budget. I said the Labor Party had increased it by tens of millions of dollars: it was, in fact, hundreds of millions of dollars that the Labor Party committed—so I will correct the record, I absolutely will.

I said the Labor Party had increased the police budget by tens of millions of dollars. I was off by an order of magnitude there; the Labor Party has committed hundreds of millions of dollars more to the police budget—

The Hon. H.M. Girolamo interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: In fact, I am advised it has committed some $334 million—

The Hon. H.M. Girolamo interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! I am trying to hear.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Over $300 million extra committed to the police budget from the Labor Party, including $82 million for new police security officers to allow frontline police out on the beat.

The Hon. H.M. Girolamo: Retract what you said yesterday.

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Dennis Hood has a supplementary question arising from the answer.