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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-06-23 Daily Xml
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VICTIMS OF CRIME DATA

Mr ODENWALDER (Little Para) (14:23): My question is to the Minister for Police. Can the Minister for Police advise the house about the official ABS victims of crime data released today?

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Police, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Motor Sport, Minister Assisting the Premier with the Olympic Dam Expansion Project) (14:23): I thank the member for Little Para for his question. This is a very important release of statistical data today. I make the point that this is ABS data and it is not something that is produced by the police department. The Premier has made a very significant policy point since coming to office that we would be tough on crime, that we would resource our police department—

Mr Williams interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: It is actually unparliamentary to interject, member for MacKillop.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Since coming to office—

The Hon. P.F. Conlon interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: —this government has increased the South Australian police department's budget by some 90 per cent—90 per cent. When we came to office—

Mr Williams interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Just wait, member for MacKillop. Since coming to office—

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for MacKillop, I warn you.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: It's not even a smart interjection. You wouldn't mind it if they were witty—

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: —or intelligent, but they are just dumb interjections. We have put an extra 700 police on the beat in this state since coming to office. We will put a further 200 or 300 on before this term ends. We will be probably closer to 1,300 more police, or a number of that equivalent, than at the mid-term point of the Liberals all those years ago.

What has been the result of this significant increase in resources, as well as the toughening of many laws that the former attorney-general quite proudly championed in this place and that has seen a significant toughening up on many laws across our statute book? The 2010 ABS data show us the following when compared to 2009.

Sexual assaults in this state fell to 1,362 compared with 1,488 in 2009 and 1,625 when we came to office in 2002. Motor vehicle theft offences—and I really ask the house to listen to this figure—in 2009 there were 5,099; this year, 4,540. But when we look back to when we came into office, in the last year of the Liberal government there were 11,214 thefts of motor vehicles in this state. We have now got that number down to 4,540. We have more than halved the number of motor vehicle thefts—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Look at it! Liberals, Madam Speaker—weak on crime. It's a known fact in this state.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: They say that it was technology—well, how do you explain this one, geniuses? Total unlawful entry, that is with intent to break into homes, fell from 17,755 last year to 16,830 this year, but—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: —they say we halved the number of motor vehicle thefts because of technology. When we came to office, the total unlawful entry with intent break-ins under—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Oh, you think that's funny, getting hit, do you?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: You think that's funny, getting hit?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Unley! Member for Unley and the minister.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: When we came—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Yes, they make fun of it. Good luck! When we came to office there were 33,054 unlawful entry with intent break-ins. We have got that number down to 16,830. We have halved it. Is that technology?

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: No, it's because you are weak on law and order and we are strong. Madam Speaker, we can look at a number of other categories. If we look at blackmail and extortion, down to 31 compared to 49 last year; and when the Liberals were last in office, 61 offences of blackmail and extortion—down to 31, another 50 per cent cut. Was that technology? Other theft offences: in 2002, other theft offences in this state was a horrendous, unacceptable, appalling figure of 79,185; this year, 42,083. That is a halving yet again.

This is clear evidence that under a Labor government we have delivered a much safer community, a community that is experiencing less—

Mr Williams interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: What's your point?

Mr Williams interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Well, I hope one day, if you get belted in the street, you don't have to go through—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: —what I've gone through.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Williams interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I said I hope you don't get belted. But make fun of it. That's fine; you can do that. You'll get into any gutter—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: —but one thing I can make very, very clear to this house is that under Labor most offences are down significantly, some are down by 50 per cent. The people of South Australia, when they re-elect a Labor government, they know one thing for certain: a Labor government is tough on law, tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition.

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