House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-03-07 Daily Xml

Contents

ANTI-GANG TASK FORCE

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (15:05): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier advise whether he advocated to have one of the federal government's anti-gang task force strike teams established in Adelaide, given that South Australia has the highest rate of shootings per capita in the nation, and, if not, why not?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Treasurer, Minister for State Development, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for the Arts) (15:06): This is an announcement of the commonwealth government that, no doubt, we will have the opportunity to have further discussions with the Prime Minister about. This is an initiative that we very much welcome. I am certainly very pleased to be engaged with the commonwealth on this particular issue.

We do accept the analysis that the commonwealth has made about this matter; that is, gangs of this sort do extend their activities beyond jurisdictions and so it is a proper matter for the commonwealth. I know that we have been regularly promoting collaboration between the commonwealth and the states on this important question and we will continue to advance South Australia's cause in discussions with our Prime Minister.