House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-05-08 Daily Xml

Contents

Expiation Notices

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (14:19): A supplementary question: given the minister's answer and denials, my question to the police minister again is: why then did police officers and their family members call in to FIVEaa today to say that they do have benchmarks?

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light—Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (14:20): The police force is like any organisation, any workplace, and with over 4,000 sworn officers at last count—more than when the Liberals were in power—

The Hon. J.R. Rau: Many more.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: —many more—the reality is that like all workplaces, employees will misunderstand a direction—

Members interjecting:

An honourable member: So how many don't understand?

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: Well, either misunderstand a direction and when the message is conveyed from management down below, people can actually add their own bits to it. But I can assure—

Mr Gardner: Explain things to them through the commissioner.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: Mr Speaker, I reaffirm that the police commissioner, nor his senior management gives any direction to any of the officers to issue expiation notices for the purposes of revenue raising. This can be quite easily cleared up: if the member for Stuart has—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: —the hard evidence to prove what I am saying is incorrect—

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Let me ask the question.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: Mr Speaker, what he has brought to us today is hearsay.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: Hearsay, and—

The SPEAKER: Could the Minister for Police be seated just for a moment.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: No, I haven't called the member for Stuart. The member for Kavel is called to order; the member for Hammond is warned a first time; the member for Unley is called to order; and for forced laughter, the member for Heysen is warned a first time; the members for Mount Gambier, Schubert and Hartley are called to order, and the Treasurer is on the brink. Minister for Police.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I have called the Minister for Police.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: If the member for Stuart can produce a document which actually indicates his position, I am happy to see it.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: The assertion by the member for Stuart is that the police commissioner has directed his officers—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: If it is quite clear that people are asserting on the radio things contrary to what the police commissioner has told me, they must have evidence to prove that—it is quite simple. So, I am happy for the member for Stuart to be briefed by the police commissioner on this matter, and I think we are arranging that at the moment and he is happy to do that. I have seen nothing before me to support what the member for Stuart said.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Supplementary question, sir?

The SPEAKER: The member for Stuart is seeking a third supplementary.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Well, before he gets that, will he be seated while I mention that the member for Chaffey—that wasn't a sigh was it—

An honourable member: A sneeze!

The SPEAKER: —is called to order. The member for Heysen is warned for the second time and also the deputy leader is warned for the second time. Member for Stuart, supplementary.