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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-10-20 Daily Xml
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POLICE FUNDING

Mr ODENWALDER (Little Para) (14:26): My question is to the Minister for Police. Can the Minister for Police outline how the government's increased resources for police has impacted crime in South Australia?

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) (14:26): Thank you.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: What's a guy got to do to get a question around this place? You know, they have been running scared of me for weeks—running scared of me for years.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Absolutely terrified of me, they are, Madam Speaker, and I don't blame them.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I got a few Liberal scalps on my belt over the years—a couple of premiers, the odd deputy premier, a tourism minister. Now, I would ask that members opposite do conduct themselves with some decorum. We have a packed gallery, and I do not want people to think that we are a rabble. I want people to think—

An honourable member: It's too late.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Well, true. I would like to talk about—what was the question again? I have little intention of answering the question, to be honest, but I know that I will be indulged in the house. We do have a very proud record as a Labor government. As the Premier has often said, we are tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime. We do have now some 4,400 men and women in uniform courtesy of this government, up from the deplorable level of 3,700 halfway through the last Liberal government.

Mr Williams: How many bikie fortresses have gone?

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: A couple. How many bikie fortresses have gone?

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: They did not want to support the legislation. Your have got your bloke in the upper house, your shadow attorney-general, opposing every attempt that we are trying to do to clamp down on organised crime. I heard him on the speaker yesterday. He wants fairness in the system—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: The Liberals want to treat the bikie gangs and organised crime with 'fairness'—give me a break—and are thwarting our attempts to gather criminal intelligence.

Mr PISONI: Point of order, Madam Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Order! There is a point of order. Member for Unley.

Mr PISONI: The minister is clearly debating the answer.

The SPEAKER: I think there is provocation coming from both sides of the house. Minister, I direct you back to the question.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Our government has proven that, when it comes to law and order, more South Australians believe we can handle crime and law and order better than our Liberal opponents.

Mr PISONI: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: Order! There is a point of order.

Mr PISONI: This is clearly debate, Madam Speaker.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I have no idea what your point of order was; I couldn't hear you.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: No, I don't think he said that.

The Hon. J.M. Rankine interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: What he said—and I've never doubted my colleague's word on anything—apparently he said, 'Violent crime down 25 per cent.' On any indication—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Bragg!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: On any indication—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: No, that's the next one: police resources. It wasn't about mining, was it? Too bad if it was! I'm allowed to answer a question any way I choose. I did not want to partake in political theatre today and attack my opponents, because I wanted to go out with dignity and in a statesmanlike manner, but the reality is that was a false hope. But what I can say is I do have some news for the house that concerns leadership on the opposition benches.

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I will be available as a consultant to you.

The Hon. J.W. Weatherill interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: No, joking. That was my humour, as usual.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: We all remember the 2006 election. Just prior to that election there was the release of—

Mr PISONI: Madam Speaker, point of order.

The SPEAKER: Order! Point of order. Member for Unley.

Mr PISONI: I think we have indulged the minister enough on his last day. He was asked a question about police—

The SPEAKER: Thank you. There is no point of order. We have no idea what the Minister for Police is going to say. Sit down.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Hear me out. Madam Speaker, we remember just before the 2006 election that famous incident when the Liberal Party released a policy document by then leader of the opposition, Rob Kerin. The problem was it was printed 'Ron Kerin'. What then happened to the leader of the opposition shortly after the misspelling of his name?

The Hon. J.D. Hill: He was lost.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Lost, and gone as leader. Oblivion. Well, Madam Speaker, I wouldn't want to be Adrian Pederick with the reshuffle coming up.

Mr Pederick interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: You're the only one laughing. I have to tell you, the member for Norwood couldn't get a bigger smile on his face.

An honourable member: What's this got to do with police?

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: A lot. The Liberal Party Christmas party flyer this year is addressed 'To all Liberal staff, HOA, LC, Library, Committees, Hansard, Catering, JPSC staff'—parliamentary staff. Everyone but us—that would have saved you a few words. Then it says: 'On behalf of Isobel Remond'. They misspelt her name!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: This flyer has gone out. They don't even remember the name of their leader. I don't blame them: they change so often. You lose track of who the leader is.

The Hon. P.F. Conlon: They're sacking her a letter at a time.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: They're sacking her a letter at a time. Their revolving door leadership situation is causing confusion. But I have to say to the member for Hammond, 'Mate, when you've got a reshuffle happening at any moment, and we all know that the member for Norwood is gunning for your spot, this wasn't a good time to misspell your leader's name.'

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I think the Minister for Police has a great future in the theatre should he chose that at some stage in the future: pantomime.

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