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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-06-02 Daily Xml
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POLICE INFRASTRUCTURE

Mrs GERAGHTY (Torrens) (15:08): My question is to the Minister for Police. How is the Rann government contributing to increased safety and more jobs for South Australia?

The Hon. M.J. WRIGHT (Lee—Minister for Police, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (15:08): The Rann Labor government has invested and continues to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in new police infrastructure for the South Australian community. Under our watch we have delivered the largest ever police station construction program that South Australia has ever seen.

Since 2002 new police stations have been opened at Golden Grove, Aldinga, Gawler, Mount Barker, Victor Harbor, Berri, Port Lincoln. Newton, Blakeview, Hallett Cove and Pooraka. We have no intention of slowing, with more than $118 million allocated towards a brand new state-of-the-art police academy at Fort Largs and a new police headquarters to be located at 100 Angas Street in the city, new police facilities at Roxby Downs and Murray Bridge, and the expansion of the Christie's Beach Police Station, which is due to commence within the next few weeks.

This is not only about delivering new and upgraded infrastructure to facilitate future growth and cater for the ever increasing numbers of police serving the people of South Australia but also about this government spending on infrastructure to generate jobs and keep our economy ticking over in these difficult times. These capital improvements will ensure that police have quality facilities that match the outstanding work they do every day. We now have more than 4,250 full-time equivalent police officers in South Australia—549 more than when we took office in March 2002, when there were only 3,701 police. In this financial year alone, 227 cadets graduated from the Fort Largs Police Academy, with a further 133 cadets currently in training.

New police stations across South Australia, supported by record levels of funding for SAPOL and the highest ever number of police officers in the state's history, are all concrete evidence of this government's commitment to ensuring the safety and security of the community.

We know, through their comments to the media, that those opposite do not support our investment in police infrastructure but, in our view, it is critical to provide the necessary resources for our hardworking police force. We also believe that it is a good thing to do for our police, who deserve acknowledgement and our thanks for their efforts in driving down crime rates—and members opposite hate that. The Rann government's commitment to our police—

Mr WILLIAMS: On a point of order, the minister is obviously debating the question.

The SPEAKER: I will listen to what the minister is saying more closely, but I do not think that he was.

The Hon. M.J. WRIGHT: Thank you, sir.

Mr WILLIAMS: The minister was making gratuitous comments about what the opposition believes, hates or whatever, and that sounds like debate to me.

The SPEAKER: By 'gratuitous' you mean that he was not being remunerated for it, I guess. I did not hear anything like that from the Minister for Police. I will listen to what he has to say.

The Hon. M.J. WRIGHT: The Rann government's commitment to our police is in stark contrast to the failures of the previous Liberal government, which allowed police stations to close and police numbers to fall to appalling levels.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister is debating, gratuitously or otherwise, and is out of order. The Minister for Transport.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Despite our very good behaviour, the opposition has a barrage of inane interjections. I just say that you cannot ask for one standing order to be observed and not others.

The SPEAKER: I ask all members to observe standing orders, which have been made for all our benefit.

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