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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-02-19 Daily Xml
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POLICE NUMBERS

Mr MARSHALL (Norwood—Leader of the Opposition) (14:15): My supplementary is to the Premier. What is the difference between an intention and a promise, and why should the people of South Australia trust you on this issue of the new commitment when you couldn't reach the previous commitment?

The SPEAKER: That is not a supplementary: that is a separate question, and I do think it comes very close to breaching the rules on questions, but I will allow it. The Premier.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Treasurer, Minister for State Development, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for the Arts) (14:15): If it is a question of trust, all they need to do is compare the two records of the two parties, because when they were in government they left us with a police force which I think was in the order of 3,700 police officers; now we have in the order of 4,500 police officers—the highest number of police officers per capita of any state in the commonwealth. One only needs to compare the two records to actually look at the performance that has been delivered, and in relation to the—

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader has a point of order.

Ms CHAPMAN: The Premier is directly going into debate on the basis that he is comparing different options, allegedly which he claims to know about. The question was very simple: what is the difference between an intent and a promise, and can he be trusted on this latest announcement? Now, that is not a comparison between the two different propositions being put; that is debate.

The SPEAKER: I think if you ask questions like the leader asked, you expect answers such as the Premier is giving. The question suggested its own answer, and it imputed if not dishonesty then incompetence, and the Premier is answering the question in the spirit it was asked.

Ms CHAPMAN: We withdraw our question. We are happy with your question.

The SPEAKER: The Premier.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I was asked to furnish evidence of why we should be trusted, and what I am furnishing as evidence for why we should be trusted is: (1) a comparison between our record and the previous record and also some of the other matters that we have attended to. I think these are all relevant to the question of whether you can trust us to keep our commitment. For instance, in the last round, the 400 additional police which were phased in from 2006-07, we delivered on that. When we made that commitment last time, we delivered upon that.

In relation to a new police academy, we have delivered on a new police academy. In relation to new police stations in Murray Bridge, Roxby Downs, Yalata, Mount Gambier, Amata, Ernabella and Mimili, we delivered on that. In relation to a new police headquarters, we delivered on that. In relation to upgrades of police stations at Christies Beach, Elizabeth, Port Adelaide, Golden Grove, Para Hills and Aldinga, we delivered on that; a new police records management system and new technology crime-fighting equipment, we delivered on that. We also indexed the outlaw motorcycle gang and serious organised crime operating resources, which we promised and we delivered on.

This is the evidence we furnish of our commitment to policing resources in South Australia. Of the 300 that we have committed to recruiting, we have already managed to recruit in the order of 100—in fact, in excess of 100—and will continue to work to recruit the balance of that sum.

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