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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-06-18 Daily Xml
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POLICING STRATEGIES

The Hon. R.D. LAWSON (14:33): As a supplementary question, what part of the observations of the Deputy Chief Magistrate does the minister consider 'delusional'?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Police, Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning) (14:33): It is not up to me to explain the words of another minister. That is a matter for the Attorney-General. What I can say is that the Attorney-General has not only the right but an obligation, as the Attorney-General of this state, to make statements clarifying the application of laws in this state.

The parliament sets down maximum sentences and the Court of Criminal Appeal makes sentencing guidelines after a hearing, at which the Attorney-General, the Director of Public Prosecutions and victims' representatives, amongst others, may be heard. It is up to the magistrates to apply these sentences and not make up their own rules. That is clear. The Attorney-General has made that clear. He not only has the right to do so but he has an obligation to do so. There will be some in the honourable member's legal cheer squad who, of course, will attack the Attorney-General.

Quite frankly, I think there is a realisation among members opposite that in relation to law and order in this state this government has delivered and delivered in spades. Their own failed record stands up in stark contrast to that. Members opposite would have done their polling, and they know it would be appalling. We know that, because they cannot attack the government's law and order policies. People like the Hon. Rob Lucas are now going onto Facebook trying to appeal to all the young people in the state to tolerate behaviour by publicans exploiting drunkenness on the street. Clearly, they have given up.

What has happened is that members opposite have given up on a law and order strategy. What they are doing now is trying to appeal to these various disparate groups, whether they are disaffected lawyers or young people who want to go clubbing all night, to try to get this coalition together, because they know that with the mainstream public of South Australia they have failed and they have failed badly. Their failures are manifest and obvious. This government will continue to do as it has done to ensure that the people of this state are protected. That is what members opposite are doing as well—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: Yes, exactly. That is the other thing members opposite are doing: they are supporting—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: Let us reflect for a moment. Members opposite apparently are supporting the medical profession in getting $110,000 extra per year. There are 2,400 doctors. If you multiply that, it is $250 million a year that they would have. That is $250 extra for every taxpayer in this state that would have to be transferred. So, the living standards of 1 million South Australian taxpayers would have to drop by $250 to transfer it to a small group. These are the sorts of people that members opposite are cheerleading, as they have just indicated. That is the sort of irresponsibility.

It is becoming increasingly scary to think about what would happen if members opposite were to achieve government in this state. They have lost all sense of responsibility; they have given up trying to protect law and order; they have given up trying to protect judicial standards; and they have given up in terms of fiscal responsibility. It is a mass failure on their behalf, but this government will keep on governing well, as it has done in the past. I have no doubt that the people of South Australia will respond to that. They certainly will not respond to the total lack of responsibility exercised by members opposite.

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