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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
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Motions

National Police Remembrance Day

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD (Gibson—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (10:41): I move:

That this house—

(a) recognises that National Police Remembrance Day is held on 28 September 2018;

(b) acknowledges that this day honours the memory of police men and women who have given their lives in the service of the community;

(c) appreciates the ongoing dedication of sworn and non-sworn SAPOL members across the city, suburbs and regions of South Australia; and

(d) thanks all South Australian police for the great work they do in making South Australia a safe place to live.

I rise today with great pride to speak on this motion. National Police Remembrance Day will be held on 28 September this year. It provides a great opportunity to reflect and honour those police men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice while in the line of duty. For the record, Police Remembrance Day is normally held on 29 September. However, SAPOL will officially hold their memorial service on Friday the 28th, which is a working day. This year, Police Remembrance Day will be celebrated with ceremonies in all states and territories across the country.

I have had the great privilege to serve as the Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services for the past six months. My respect and appreciation for the work that police do, in often very difficult and challenging circumstances, has only grown in that time. I have been lucky to go out and see police operations on the beat. On one of those most insightful evenings, it was somewhat enjoyable to see police operating on Hindley Street. I know others in this place have been on a similar journey. They are difficult circumstances. Young people are out and about having a good time and being merry, but police are there to keep South Australians safe.

The way they interacted with people throughout the course of the evening, the way that the mounted police were present and kept that presence on Hindley Street as well, and the way that police were received by the people who owned the nightclubs and the establishments along Hindley Street was wonderful to see. As a whole, all the people who were out and about really did enjoy interacting with the police, knowing they were there to keep them safe. That is just one of the operations that I have been able to see.

I was also out with the dog squad and the mounted horses over at the old police barracks where they are housed and stabled. These arms of the police force are also wonderful to witness. They do great work. The PAD dogs—drug detection dogs—are quite fascinating in the way they operate. These labradors are very intelligent, and the relationship they have with their handlers is absolutely outstanding to see. It is a different arm, of course, and there are other arms of the police force as well.

I have gone out and witnessed the STAR Group training and the work they do is outstanding. We know that going forward we will have the rapid response capability as well, which I think is very exciting for all South Australians. All the police in all those different departments right across the board do an outstanding job and we thank them very much for that.

It has been a pleasure going to the regions as well and seeing how the police operate out there. I was in Port Augusta recently. What is amazing is the number of cadets who go through Port Augusta and really like to experience a more rural region that is still a large metropolis where they can get all those wonderful worldly experiences. It was pointed out that the way they are set up in Port Augusta really is the ideal training ground, so that is very much enjoyed up there as well.

I have also had the privilege of going to a number of cadet graduations at the Police Academy to watch these young people—and some of them not so young—commence their policing career. We recently had a graduation for the community constables as well, and that is another great initiative to keep police engaged with the community and delivering the great services they do.

Having had the opportunity at those sorts of events to speak to the officers face to face and get a feel for the job they do was truly inspirational. It can only be described really as one of the best parts of the job when you get to go out and speak to people face to face, hear what they are doing and listen to how much they love the work they are doing as part of our South Australian police force.

It is also a great honour to be standing here in this house wearing the SA Police Legacy ribbon in honour of those who have been lost along the way. Police Legacy do an outstanding job helping the families of people who have been lost along the way, and I commend the work they do. In addition to those officers who have lost their lives whilst on duty, there are countless police men and women who have been injured whilst on duty. I would also like to pay tribute to them here today.

While fortunately it has been quite a number of years since we lost a police officer in the line of duty, the reality is that most of our police officers encounter risks every day. SAPOL officers are dedicated to protecting our community, and today is a day to acknowledge and thank our police officers for their selflessness and commitment to ensuring South Australian public safety.

I also want to take the opportunity to convey my sincere condolences to members of the Victorian police who tragically lost one of their own officers last weekend. Detective Senior Sergeant Vic Kostiuk was killed when a car travelling in the opposite direction veered into the path of his motorcycle. This tragedy occurred while the officer was participating in the national Wall to Wall charity ride from Melbourne to Canberra in honour of officers killed in the line of duty. It is very sad that someone was there recognising National Police Remembrance Day by taking part in an activity and died on this ride. Sadly, his son was also alongside him when that happened and he is also a Victorian police officer. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to that family of course.

I would also like to acknowledge and thank the non-sworn police employees and volunteers around the state who contribute to making SAPOL one of the most respected organisations in Australia. Next week, I will have the privilege of attending and laying a wreath at the Wall of Remembrance at the Remembrance Day memorial service at the Police Academy at Fort Largs. They do wonderful ceremonies out there. I have been to a number of graduation ceremonies for police cadets.

I was there just last week with the shadow minister for the graduation of the community constables. It was wonderful to see these young people, who had gone through the 16-week training course and are now going out into the community and working in that role, specifically and more particularly in the work around Indigenous liaison, which is wonderful to see. We are looking forward to growing community constable engagement with SAPOL and the work they do in localised communities right across the state.

I also have a close personal relationship with SAPOL. My brother-in-law was a member of SAPOL for a number of years as part of the STAR Group. I would always enjoy catching up with him and hearing the tales of the work that he did. I have admiration for all the STAR Group officers and, for that matter, all the police. Whilst the STAR Group would do day-to-day on the beat operations as well, when they were called to stand up and take part in quite big projects it was quite phenomenal. It was very dangerous work they did, highly respected work and very much valued work as far as South Australia is concerned.

My niece has also joined the police force. She has not been in all that long but she is doing an outstanding job, from all reports, and is absolutely loving her work, loving the camaraderie, the engagement she has with the community. She is a very forthright young woman who is a very confident person and ideally suited to the role. I have no doubt that every day she puts on her uniform and goes to work her heart and soul are totally committed to delivering better outcomes for South Australians right across the board.

I know she is a highly valued member of her team and, while still only quite young, she has the confidence, the skills and the abilities, from going through the training at the academy, to deliver for our police force. However, when you have someone so close who goes to work in that environment you are always conscious, watching from the outside and having a little look from the inside, that it is a dangerous environment, and you want to make sure they come home safely at the end of the day.

No-one wants to see our police put in life-threatening situations. Of course we want to minimise that at every turn; however, the nature of the job is that it is a difficult job and there can be those types of situations. We want to make sure that police and other people who go to work get home at the end of the day, because we can only imagine how devastating it is for people who have lost someone in the line of duty.

It is a great opportunity on the 28th, the day that SAPOL acknowledges and remembers police who have fallen in the line of duty, to spare a thought for those who do go to work often late at night and into uncomfortable situations. I go back to walking Hindley Street with some officers recently: I was there with their protection, following us along, but we went down through some the backstreets and looked at what happens and how people operate in those sorts of environments. I was there with their protection, but they go there every day for work. They put themselves in those environments to make sure that South Australians are protected. I truly personally admire that, and I think that collectively, as a parliament, we need to acknowledge the wonderful work they do.

It is a privilege and an honour to be police minister and have oversight of that portfolio area. Right across the board, to all police officers both sworn and non-sworn, I thank them for the great work they do in keeping South Australia safe. Again, I take this opportunity to recognise all they do, all they give over and above their work commitments, to make sure that those of us in this chamber and the greater population of South Australia have what we all know to be a wonderful and safe environment in which to live, raise our families and do business.

Again, a big thankyou to them. It is a great opportunity to acknowledge National Police Remembrance Day on the 28th of this month.

Mr ODENWALDER (Elizabeth) (10:53): I rise to support the motion brought today by the minister:

That this house—

(a) recognises that National Police Remembrance Day is held on 28 September 2018;

(b) acknowledges that this day honours the memory of police men and women who have given their lives in the service of the community;

(c) appreciates the ongoing dedication of sworn and non-sworn SAPOL members across the city, suburbs and regions of South Australia; and

(d) thanks all South Australian police for the great work they do in making South Australia a safe place to live.

I will make a brief contribution to this motion today. I have spoken on similar motions many times in this house. South Australia Police have, of course, been serving our community for well over 175 years, I think 178 years now, and over that time we have lost 61 of them while on duty. As people will know, this is a subject close to my heart. I used to serve as a police officer. It is a tight-knit family, and even after you have left it is a tight-knit family, as the minister alluded to.

My time was spent almost entirely on patrols in Elizabeth, with various stints in Salisbury and the occasional sojourn in Hindley Street, as we were called upon to do from time to time. As I said, it was entirely on patrols and, on reflection, notwithstanding some of the comments of the minister, I think that the patrols perform probably the most difficult and most dangerous task of all the sworn police officers.

This is not to denigrate for a second the contribution of other members, particularly the STAR Group, as the minister alluded to. They do an extremely dangerous job at times. The tactical response groups and those specialists who go into meth labs from time to time do an enormously dangerous job. But general patrols have a particular role to play in keeping our community safe, and it almost goes without saying how dangerous it is. Almost every aspect of the job has hidden risks: the driving, the firearms, the other equipment police carry to protect themselves and protect others and, of course, the people police encounter from time to time in the course of their duty.

General patrols almost never know exactly what is going to confront them when they go to a job. Often, the job comes up as a simple disturbance with very little detail. Although the comms people try to give patrols as much detail as they can, there is often very little detail. Every house they visit, every car they stop, every person they meet in the street is a potential risk and, indeed, could be the difference between life and death. Every copper knows that this is the case going into every job, and still they go in.

That is what we should be celebrating on Police Remembrance Day, remembering those who gave their lives but celebrating those who are prepared to do that every single day. We are all safer for their efforts, the risks they take and the sacrifices they often make. This is why we need to equip our police to face any situation. That is why, under the previous government, SAPOL became the most well-resourced police force in Australia. It is also why police need the latest equipment. It is why every front-line police officer should have access to a taser and a light ballistic stab-proof vest.

The Hon. C.L. Wingard: Why didn't you supply it?

Mr ODENWALDER: Well, I was about to say, but there is bipartisan support in this chamber—there has been in the past, and I hope there will be in the future—for properly equipping our police. I hope that the minister is true to his word and wants to equip them. I am sure he is. I am sure he wants to equip them to the best of his ability, and I am sure he wants to keep them as the most well-resourced and safest police force in Australia.

As I said, 61 of our officers have died since 1847 in the line of duty in various ways, most commonly involving a motor vehicle. Of the 61 deaths, 28 have involved motor vehicles. The last police officer to die was Senior Constable Bogdan Josef Sobczak. He was killed in 2002 on his motorcycle. He was a long-term career police officer from the age of 19. He left behind his wife, Julie, and children Renee, Luke, Kara and Cain. It is people like him we should be remembering on this day.

National Police Remembrance Day is traditionally held on 29 September and this year is commemorated on 28 September, a Friday. It is the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel, I am advised, the patron saint of police. It is a time to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. I want to express my personal thanks to the sworn and non-sworn SAPOL officers who serve us every day, and I express the thanks of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition to those men and women who serve and protect our community every day, knowing the risks but go out anyway.

I want to echo the minister's thanks to SA Police Legacy. They do a fantastic job assisting the families of police officers who have either passed away or are facing serious health issues. I also want to acknowledge the efforts of the Police Association of South Australia, with which I have been involved for a very long time, and their president, Mark Carroll, and new secretary, Bernadette Zimmermann. I want to acknowledge the service of the outgoing secretary, Tom Scheffler, who is having an endless retirement party, it seems, but I am sure it will end soon. He has served the Police Association well. I commend the motion to the house.

Mr PATTERSON (Morphett) (10:59): I also rise to support the motion of the Minister for Police, Correctional Services and Emergency Services regarding this year's National Police Remembrance Day, which takes place on 28 September. Certainly, this house should recognise this day and acknowledge its importance in honouring the men and women who have dedicated and given their lives to serving the community and also maintaining law and order, not only within Australia but, importantly, in South Australia.

On 28 September, there will be ceremonies all across Australia celebrating the incredible work that our police officers do. It is also important to reflect upon the great sacrifice that some members of the police community have made, and therefore on National Police Remembrance Day we will remember the lives of 61 South Australian police officers who have passed away in their line of duty.

Today, I am wearing a Legacy ribbon honouring those who have lost their lives, but it also pays tribute to those who have been injured and who have put their lives at risk keeping our community safe. Members of the police force and their families are aware of the unavoidable danger that their job entails, yet they go in and keep the community safe regardless. When an officer makes the ultimate sacrifice in their line of duty, the wider police community provides ongoing support to loved ones and those left behind.

I support the minister's motion strongly and would like to emphasise how important it is that this house acknowledges its appreciation of the ongoing service that both sworn and non-sworn members of SAPOL provide to both metropolitan and regional South Australia. I mentioned before that many of those police officers are out on mobile patrols in cars or on bikes. This is certainly the case in regional areas on long roads, and it is vital that they are given the recognition for the work they do to keep our community safe.

It is because of these hardworking police officers and staff that our wider community is able to live their lives without fear of danger, knowing that they have an emergency service that they can rely on when needed that ensures their public safety. This is why so many South Australians were disheartened when the previous Labor government reduced the operating hours of many police stations throughout metropolitan Adelaide in 2016.

In the seat of Morphett, the Glenelg Police Station saw its hours reduced and slashed to become 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Our community, especially those most vulnerable, such as senior citizens and young families, deserves a greater and stronger police presence. However, when these operating hours were cut, this presence ceased to exist on the weekends in many major areas with high traffic volumes.

A physical police shopfront for people to walk into is vital in terms of maintaining citizens' feelings of safety, especially during the busiest times. In Glenelg, often this is at weekends during the summer months, and it sees large numbers of visitors coming to the area. Both locals and visitors should feel safe to walk around and enjoy the beach and local businesses. However, this safety is not always felt without a strong police presence on the weekends.

Glenelg is a thriving local area, and almost 80 per cent of all visitors who come to Adelaide visit the area and enjoy the small boutiques, cafes, restaurants and bars. This has led to over 1.3 million visitations per year into the precinct. Residents and tourists alike want to feel safe and enjoy our vibrant community.

On days of national celebration, such as New Year's Eve and Australia Day, the crowds flock to Glenelg beach. New Year's Eve sees up to 40,000 revellers taking part in the celebrations that culminate in the fireworks display at midnight. These events have been well supported by a strong police presence, and this has enabled these occasions to be family friendly, with families able to attend with children in a safe environment. Again, I thank the police for the work they do, when they could be spending time with their loved ones but instead put themselves out and work to keep our community safe.

In May of this year, just in Glenelg, not taking into account the surrounding suburbs which the Glenelg Police Station also services, there was a total of 38 total criminal offences. These ranged from serious criminal trespass to common assault and theft. What I would like to address specifically is that there were two assaults upon police officers within this number of 38 total offences. This is alarming because we know that police officers take genuine risks in the line of duty to uphold the safety of our community and protect our citizens.

I am pleased that the 2018-19 state budget dedicates $12.9 million to implement a new staffing model in all metropolitan police stations, enabling more sworn police officers to be available for patrols and to enable police stations at Henley Beach, Norwood and Glenelg to be open when the community needs them. This strong police presence also includes mobile patrols; foot patrols, especially along the busy Jetty Road in Glenelg; and bike patrols along the coastal foreshore as well, which is not as accessible to cars and mobile patrols. Sworn police officers will be maintained at these police stations.

This was a key election commitment that I fought for on behalf of our community in Morphett. It emphasises that the government is maintaining the commitments it took to South Australians at the recent election. This commitment will ensure that police resources will be used effectively and that residents and visitors of Glenelg and the wider area will enjoy the save and vibrant community that Glenelg has to offer. The commitment also enables sworn officers to be redirected to a new rapid response capability to prevent and respond to terrorism-related incidents and domestic high-risk taskings, and to safely manage major events in South Australia, including in Morphett.

I would like to close by reiterating the hugely important role that SAPOL plays in South Australia. Police officers and the wider law enforcement community ensure that we can go about our lives without fear. We are able to go out and enjoy the cafes and bars in Glenelg at night and then walk back to our cars without fearing for our safety because we know there is a strong police presence.

I strongly support the minister's motion for this house to thank South Australian police officers for the incredible work they do every day to make South Australia a safe place to live. National Police Remembrance Day is important not only for current police officers but also for their families, retired officers and importantly, the families and friends of police officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.

Mr COWDREY (Colton) (11:06): I rise today to support the motion put forward by Minister for Police, Correctional Services and Emergency Services outlining:

That this house—

(a) recognises that National Police Remembrance Day is held on 28 September 2018;

(b) acknowledges that this day honours the memory of police men and women who have given their lives in the service of the community;

(c) appreciates the ongoing dedication of sworn and non-sworn SAPOL members across the city, suburbs and regions of South Australia; and

(d) thanks all South Australian police for the great work they do in making South Australia a safe place to live.

I certainly do not think we can say enough about South Australia's police force, their dedication and their commitment to providing us with an absolutely essential community service. The work they do is certainly far and wide. There is a great breadth of services that are delivered by SAPOL across a range of different areas, and I just want to take the time to highlight a couple of the services that may not be at the forefront of everyone's minds.

Each and every one of our SAPOL officers are valued for the services they deliver to our community, no matter what that service is. I regularly attend Neighbourhood Watch meetings in Henley, West Beach and other suburbs around the electorate. The value that SAPOL officers—usually community constables—provide in coming in to those meetings to update on the goings on in the area over the previous quarter is really appreciated by those who attend. They feel like they are part of a wider service that is providing for the community through those organisations.

While often they are young members—they are members who have just joined the police force—I think that contribution early on, to be able to interact with our community, is one of the most grassroots points of policing. The other aspect, which is close to my heart for a number of reasons, is the work of the water operations team and divers. It is often not really talked about, but they show dedication in training and in the service they deliver, often in very dire circumstances.

Through the campaign, I came across a couple of people involved in the Water Operations Unit. Through my time in the pool and in my swimming career, I also came across quite a few friends who took a very different pathway from me in later years and used their swimming careers and skills to become police divers. The service that they deliver, the risks that they take every day, and the dire circumstances that they face in their day-to-day operations are things the community more broadly respects and admires.

Earlier in the year, I had the opportunity to visit and represent the Minister for Police at a SAPOL recruit transition course graduation at Taperoo. This graduation is a bit different in the respect that the cadets are not usually at the same level as most cadets. They are officers who are coming across from different jurisdictions across Australia to become members of the SAPOL force, so theirs is almost a bridging course. Those people who had served in different police forces around Australia and who had moved here to South Australia to continue to serve a different community were still very passionate about what they were doing and their vocation, and it was certainly a great honour to be there to see them graduate and enter our SAPOL force.

I would also like to say that the facilities down at Taperoo are certainly first class. Police officers are given a fantastic facility to come through to learn their trade and to graduate from. The last time I was at that particular facility was in the very early days of my swimming career, when there used to be a pool, a very cold pool from memory. I asked the Assistant Commissioner on the day where the pool was now located. Apparently there is no pool; the new building was erected on top of it, but they have fantastic facilities. As has been said, across this chamber there is a want to provide our police force with appropriate infrastructure and everything they need to do their job.

I will not touch on this point in any great detail, but the reaction in my community to the recent changes in the police operating model demonstrates how much my community values the work that our police force do. They appreciate it, they are respectful of the work that they undertake, and are thankful for the service that SAPOL provides across all their services. On Police Remembrance Day, we are reminded on a day-to-day basis really that the moment we have an issue, we have a safety concern and we have people breaking the law, the first people we turn to, the first people we look for, the first people we want to make contact with are the police. As has been said, they are putting their lives at risk for the benefit of our greater community.

In the context of this motion, I think it is also appropriate to recognise the families who are supporting our police officers. Often in the force, the officers are working shiftwork, they are working late, they are working on call, and it is something that the family has to deal with both in having their particular loved one leave every day with an element of risk and in the way that they have to accommodate the rigours that come with serving in SAPOL. I think it is appropriate at this time to recognise, as has been mentioned, not just the 61 police who have died in service but also the families of those affected, certainly a much larger number.

The police are those go-to people, they give us a sense of security, they give us a sense of safety, but they also give us a sense of duty, and that is what SAPOL's dedicated officers do on a day-to-day basis. I do commend this motion put forward by the Minister for Police and thank other members in the chamber for contributing to this important motion recognising National Police Remembrance Day and thank our police officers for the service they provide.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (11:14): I rise to support the motion by the Minister for Police:

That this house—

(a) recognises that National Police Remembrance Day is held on 28 September 2018;

(b) acknowledges that this day honours the memory of police men and women who have given their lives in the service of the community;

(c) appreciates the ongoing dedication of sworn and non-sworn SAPOL members across the city, suburbs and regions of South Australia; and

(d) thanks all South Australian police for the great work they do in making South Australia a safe place to live.

I come from a regional electorate, with police stations spread far and wide, and as the electoral cycles rotate police stations come in or go out, but over time I have represented the Mallee stations of Pinnaroo and Lameroo. With the redistribution, they went into Chaffey for four years. My southern boundary is very close to the Coonalpyn and Tailem Bend stations and there is also Murray Bridge, which is the main station servicing the area. That station services an area right up through the Riverland, connecting to Berri, Renmark and Loxton. With my boundary moving up towards Mount Barker, I am having a bit more to do with linking through to Goolwa and the Goolwa Police Station, as I did in the past when I represented Goolwa for two terms.

I am actively working with police on issues, some of which are civil matters, and it is nice to know I can ask for a contact and meet with those police and they bring in other officers as needed. The other day, I met with the officer filling in for the superintendent in Mount Barker and a couple of other officers, which was very handy. It was more than I expected. I expected to meet with just one officer on the issue that I had brought to their attention.

I acknowledge all the superintendents I have dealt with over the years, including the ones I dealt with pre-politics. I mention retired superintendent John Attwood. I was involved in a large fundraising activity in the upper South-East with the sand blasters. We have really good dialogue when operating with police at all levels, whether dealing with licensing here in Adelaide or local police like John. The other day I ran into John at an awards night for Neighbourhood Watch recognising the valuable service that citizens play in assisting police in being the eyes and ears out in the community.

Even though the police do absolutely magnificent work, they cannot be everywhere all the time. John and I reflected on those times years ago when we worked together. He was talking about how we dealt with the Hells Angels at Ponde. I said, 'How did you manage that, mate?' He said, 'I just let them know that I would be walking in unarmed,' and you work it out. I think that takes a certain amount of courage—I think that takes great courage. I absolutely salute him for doing that, and other police officers who work in challenging environments, to say the least.

During my time as a member of parliament, it is so good to have the mobile number of the current superintendent in Murray Bridge in my phone and the acknowledgement that if I need to ring them at any time of day or night I can do that. I have done that when I have been driving home to Coomandook and I hear something on the UHF radio that there is (as there was one night) a truck on the wrong side of the road, heading against the traffic. I contacted the super and said, 'You have to get a patrol out here pretty quick.' They may have been contacted in other ways, but it is nice that I can just go to the direct number and say, 'What's happening?'

I would like to acknowledge the current superintendent out there, James Blandford, and the work he does with his officers right across the community. We have a really good and open relationship. We have regular meetings, but at any time, if I need to find out what is going on with a certain issue, I make that contact. Sadly, we have seen some evil crimes in the Murraylands where people have been murdered. I acknowledge the work that the police have to do around these evil crimes, but I also want to acknowledge the general work that they do.

It has been mentioned before that police do not know what they are coming up against. I know that for a recent murder they raided 100 houses in Murray Bridge. Who would know what they would get on the other side? I know they were out in force but, at times, when police officers go out to an event—and sadly sometimes these are domestic violence related—they do not know what they are going to find, especially if they are going out to a relatively remote farmhouse or a house at the end of a street. Anything can happen.

Sadly, as we have seen over the years, we have lost 61 members of our police force who have made the ultimate sacrifice. I think not only about them but about the families left behind, who have to live with the fact of that lost loved one who is never going to walk in the door again because they made the ultimate sacrifice.

They are doing the job to keep our community safe. You may not think that if you happen to creep over the speed limit and they pull you over to have a chat about why you might have crept over, but that is what they are there for: to keep you safe. Although, in saying that, I acknowledge that we have a policy to bring our rural roads back to 110 km/h—and the sooner the better for our regional members.

The Hon. Z.L. Bettison: Hurry up and do it.

Mr PEDERICK: I note the interjection of, 'Why don't we do it?' I am glad I got that interjection, actually. There is a simple reason: 16 years of neglect in the regions, 16 years of absolute neglect by the previous Labor government. Instead of keeping roads up to the standard that the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure wants to have them at, they just run them down and say, 'That's alright. We'll just call them 100 km/h roads now.' That is, simply, why we cannot do it. As I have had the community—

Mr Odenwalder: Is that a promise?

Mr PEDERICK: Absolutely. It is in our policies. Read them and weep.

Mr Odenwalder interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr PEDERICK: We will fix this issue absolutely. Members on the other side would not know what a rural road was if it hit them in the face. They would not know what a rural road was if it hit them in the face because it was easier just to neglect the regions of South Australia in every way, shape and form, whether it is to do with our transport, our health, our education or the wellbeing of our regional citizens. However, we over on this side do care, and we care that people need to get to places through productivity and all other matters.

There were 16 years of neglect and $1 billion of waste in our road network, where the previous Labor government let a $1 billion backlog in our road funding just go out the window because they were not committed to working on those roads—but I digress. In my final few seconds, I want to totally acknowledge the sacrifice of our police men and women—not just them but also their families and colleagues.

Ms LUETHEN (King) (11:24): I rise to support National Police Remembrance Day, which will be held on 28 September this year. The day provides an important opportunity to reflect on and honour those police men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice while in the line of duty. I am glad to know that Police Remembrance Day will be celebrated with ceremonies in all states and territories across the country. With sadness and gratitude, we pay tribute to the 61 members of the South Australian police force who have made the ultimate sacrifice while performing their duties as police officers.

All police officers and their families know that policing can sometimes be a dangerous job, but when a life is taken the police family pulls together to support and care for one another. I acknowledge and thank all South Australian police and pay a special thanks to the Golden Grove, Salisbury, Holden Hill and Elizabeth police stations that keep the people safe in King.

As I have been serving the local community as a councillor and now as the state member, the local police, our Golden Grove Police Station, have been a terrific support in not only working to keep our community safe, not only patrolling the drop-off and pickup times at our local schools, but also providing me their advice, views and collaboration on projects such as the council project, when I was collaborating with the local community to explore the feasibility of adding lights to the local skate park. They supported this and, through this conversation with local police and the community, I found out that they often open their doors on hot days to the local skaters when they need a cool drink.

Also, I have friends who have worked at our local police stations. These individuals are very community focused and have provided me with sound advice on many topics, including when the former government was looking to reduce the operating days and hours in our local police stations. It is a dangerous job our local police do. Recently, I witnessed a person resisting to go with two female police officers, as they instructed, and one officer was sprayed in the eyes with the spray that they used, as was the person they were trying to detain. As I was watching this, it struck me what officers go through on a daily basis and that when they arrive home from work and someone asks how their day has been, it might be a little different from ours. I feel for them and thank them for what they do in the line of duty.

On Police Remembrance Day, we are reminded of the reasons we may go to police on a daily basis and how lucky we are that they choose to serve us in this role. I also recognise all sworn and non-sworn officers for the work they do. My own my mother, Maria Hannam, worked for over 10 years in an admin role in the DNA section of SAPOL. Every person in the police force, sworn and non-sworn, plays a very important role in keeping our state safe.

Lastly, I would like to acknowledge the police officers who give their time to attend the local Neighbourhood Watch groups. We have great dialogue and collaboration in the Golden Grove, Wynn Vale and Greenwith Neighbourhood Watch. This is an interesting and useful way for our local community to share information, ask questions and give information back and forth. I thank Councillor Sandy Keane for volunteering to be the chair of these meetings for many years, and also certainly acknowledge my previous co-councillor, Councillor Bernie Keane, for his contribution over many years. I commend this motion to the house and I thank the minister for putting this very important motion forward to recognise the great work and sacrifice of our police officers across the state.

Dr HARVEY (Newland) (11:28): I rise today in support of this motion to recognise National Police Remembrance Day on 28 September. The motion also acknowledges and honours the memory of police men and women who have given their lives in service to the community, appreciates the ongoing dedication of sworn and non-sworn members of the South Australian police right across the state and thanks all South Australian police for the great work they do.

When I was briefly reading up on the background of the South Australia Police, I realised that the police force is 180 years old. It is the oldest in Australasia and, in fact, one of the oldest established police forces in the world. Police Remembrance Day is a very important opportunity to remember those 61 police officers whose lives were taken in service to our community, ultimately working to keep us all safe. When most of us would be moving away from danger, it is often their job to head straight towards it. I would like to pay tribute to those who were taken in the line of duty.

I would also like to pay tribute to all those police who are doing that very important work at the moment. I would like to echo some of the comments the member for Elizabeth made around the patrol officers and the very important and difficult work they do with the acknowledgement that they head into any situation, often without knowing a great deal about what is before them. From my interactions with friends and family and others who have worked in the police force, I know it can range from a neighbour complaint about noise, playing loud music on a Sunday afternoon, to a domestic violence situation to someone who is off their head on a horrible drug like ice or being first on the scene during a major crash situation.

I am a little hesitant in naming and listing the different sections of the police force when I obviously do not know all of them and do not want that to be any reflection on having an opinion of one versus another. But of those I know, the STAR Force and others who are involved in those acute situations are at incredible risk. I would also like to acknowledge those who work in other areas such as the Major Crash Investigation Section where they are dealing with horrific scenes and having to collect evidence and also inform families that they have lost loved ones on the roads. I would also like to acknowledge those police who are involved in some very horrific investigations.

I know one former police officer who was involved for about 12 years in investigating cases of child sexual abuse. Talking to him, I understood the impact that that had on him over time; in fact, it was one of the reasons for his leaving the force in the end. I think it is very important for us to always do everything we can to ensure that police officers are supported beyond their time in the force to make sure that, when they are dealing with these very difficult and horrific situations, there is always a helping hand out there for them.

I would also like to recognise the families of police officers. I know that police work takes a toll on families and it is important that they are recognised as well. Lastly, I want to thank all members of the police, sworn and non-sworn, for the work they do and recognise those who have lost their lives in the line of duty. I commend the minister for bringing this motion to this house and I commend the motion.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General) (11:33): I rise to support the motion and commend the minister for bringing the matter to the attention of the house. May I first say that, in the work that our police do in respect of the personal protection of our community, their investigative role in relation to crime and the very challenging aspects of the security of our state in relation to terrorist activity and the like, at whatever level, these men and women place themselves at risk, particularly on the front line in relation to high-level squads that are important to the protection of our community.

Sadly, I do not have any police stations in my electorate. We rely on the Norwood Police Station, so a big thankyou to the police commissioner and the police minister for their cooperative work in ensuring that the extension of trading hours is respected and, of course, the new government has introduced the funding to support that.

What we have, though, is a memorial to Constable Hyde at the Leabrook Playground, at the back of the site of a former primary school, which came about as a result of the early Police Association, which has been recognised, I think by the member for Newland, as one of the oldest police operations in Australia, but particularly their association was the first of its kind in Australia.

They have been very active in supporting the recognition of Constable Hyde. Why? Because he was the first police officer who died from injuries as a result of attempting to arrest, in this case, two highwaymen who were attempting to rob, and I think successfully did rob, the Marryatville Hotel. Constable Hyde was shot and wounded. He staggered to the other side of the road but later died of injuries from that assault on him. For the information of members, he is buried in the West Terrace Cemetery.

Again, the Police Association was active in securing a significant upgrade to his grave in recognition. He is a symbol of all that our men and women in the police force risk to carry out their duties, and on a day such as this and a commemoration such as this we recognise them for their efforts. There has been a bit of a challenge in relation to the maintenance of this but, as a member of the National Trust, a member of the history branch in Burnside and a member of the Geographical Society, I am personally committed to ensure that the recognition of these memorials is maintained. It is a very important expression of what we are proud of and what should endure for future generations.

Sadly, however, it came under a bit of attack, I have to say, because under Ms Portolesi's time in the parliament she made a commitment, I think just before the 2010 election, to ensure that this memorial would be maintained. It was on land that the government wanted to sell. All sorts of commitments were made to protect it, including by the former member for Norwood at that stage, but subsequently changed to Dunstan, and the member for Hartley; both those members were involved in obviously supporting the position. The now member for Dunstan, our Premier, of course was active in this, and indeed our Speaker, as the candidate for Hartley at the time, was very active in ensuring that we maintain this.

All sorts of promises were made by the previous government, but of course as soon as they were re-elected they were abandoned, and guess what has happened? The land transfers occurred and it was necessary for us to save this memorial and for the Burnside council to step in and acquire the property to ensure the continuation of this memorial. I am a ratepayer and a taxpayer and we got slugged both ways; nevertheless, I think it is fair to say that in our district we are proud of this memorial. It symbolises everything that we should recognise in relation to the police force and the community's appreciation for what they do. It has come at a cost, but that memorial is intact and I am proud to say that it will certainly be there in my lifetime.

Mrs POWER (Elder) (11:39): I rise today in support of the motion of the Minister for Police, Correctional Services and Emergency Services:

That this house—

(a) recognises that National Police Remembrance Day is held on 28 September 2018;

(b) acknowledges that this day honours the memory of police men and women who have given their lives in the service of the community;

(c) appreciates the ongoing dedication of sworn and non-sworn SAPOL members across the city, suburbs and regions of South Australia; and

(d) thanks all South Australian police for the great work they do in making South Australia a safe place to live.

This is a very important motion indeed. National Police Remembrance Day, as I mentioned, to be held on 28 September this year, is an important day. It is an important opportunity to reflect and honour all the men and women who serve in our police force and to pay our respect to the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice whilst on duty.

We often think of police in terms of law enforcement, but their role extends beyond this, with police officers bringing citizens and communities together to prevent crimes from happening in the first place, solving neighbourhood problems, witnessing documents and promoting public safety. More broadly, our police officers enhance the quality of life in a community. I stand today in appreciation of all the work, sacrifice, bravery and commitment of our sworn and non-sworn SAPOL members across the city, suburbs and regions of South Australia. I would also like to pay tribute to the 61 members of the South Australian police force who paid the ultimate sacrifice while performing their duties as police officers.

On National Police Remembrance Day, I hope that everyone in our community pauses to think of our South Australian police force and to imagine what their working day or working night might look like. As the member for Newland quite poetically put it, whilst most of us are running from danger our police officers are running towards it. Whether we have had cause to call upon the police or not, simply knowing that we have a reliable, trustworthy, dedicated police force brings great comfort, safety and peace to our community and our state. I commend the motion to the house.

The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Duluk): If the minister speaks, he closes debate.

The Hon. C.L. WINGARD (Gibson—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (11:41): Thank you very much, Mr Acting Speaker. It is lovely to see you poised in the chair doing such an outstanding job. I note the Speaker has just got married, and I am just checking to see how you are travelling—good to know—but I digress, Mr Acting Speaker. Thank you for the indulgence; I do apologise.

I would like to thank all the members who spoke on this motion to acknowledge the great work that SAPOL do and to acknowledge National Police Remembrance Day that is being rolled out on 28 September this year. I would like to acknowledge the Deputy Premier and the member for King, and the members for Morphett and Colton, who I know are very passionate about police presence in their area as well, as is the Premier, the member for Dunstan. The member for Newland spoke wonderfully well, as he always does.

The member for Hammond is a very passionate advocate for the regions of course, as is the member for Elder as well, a very hardworking member. More specifically, I acknowledge the member for Elizabeth, the shadow minister, who again supported the motion on behalf of his side of the chamber, and I thank him for that and note his words about the importance of police on the beat. I know that he has a very close affinity with South Australia Police, having served for a short period of time as a member of SAPOL, and that he understands, as we all should, the great work that police do.

As we commemorate National Police Remembrance Day, I would like to take a moment to think about what police actually do when they go to work every day. I mentioned before that they put on the uniform and go to work knowing that they are going into a potentially dangerous situation or dangerous circumstances. It is a difficult job, and I think it is good just to take time to acknowledge that because, when we do not deal with it day to day, we do take it for granted. We love to know in the back of our heads that we have that support, comfort and reassurance of having such a wonderful police force. It allows us to get on and do all the things we do. Taking the time to think about what they do, the work they do, the dangers they put themselves in, is very important. To have members in the chamber acknowledge that and recognise that is truly fantastic.

As was pointed out by a number of members, 61 members of the South Australian police force have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, and that should not go without notice as well. We must think about their families, friends and associates when we talk about that number of 61. When you extrapolate it out to family members and close friends, it really has a far and wide-reaching net across the state of people who are impacted, and of course we do not want to see those things going forward. Thankfully, it has been a long time, touch wood, since we have had a death of one of our police officers whilst in the line of duty.

I mentioned the great bond and friendship that exists amongst all SAPOL workers, and I have been lucky enough to experience and witness that firsthand, as I am sure many other members in the chamber have through friends and associates who are involved with SAPOL, and the bond there is so incredibly strong. That should be acknowledged as well because, as a unit, a group, they look after each other and that is incredibly important as well.

The member for Newland made a very poignant point: the work SAPOL officers do is very unnatural. When there is an incident, they run towards the danger and not away from it, and that must be truly commended and acknowledged at this point as well. I cannot stress enough the privilege and comfort we have of living in a safe community because of the services provided by South Australia Police; it is something for which we should all be truly thankful, especially on days like this, when we acknowledge people who have passed in the line of duty and when we take a moment to think about the work the current members do.

As simple as it sounds, when you walk down the street and see someone in the navy blue uniform, give them a smile, say hello and say thanks, because they do a marvellous job. It is a great opportunity on 28 September to acknowledge and remember. Again, I thank all members who have supported this motion on both sides of the house, and I commend the great work done by SAPOL.

Motion carried.

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