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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-04-07 Daily Xml
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Question Time

POLICE ROAD SAFETY POLICY

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:32): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Mineral Resources Development, representing the Minister for Police, a question about SAPOL policy.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: It is well known that this government has been championing its agenda of being tough on law and order and tough on crime, with its massive recruiting campaign, which we know will, before the election, fall short of its commitment of 4,400 officers on the beat. Notwithstanding that, when the minister opposite was minister for police, SAPOL introduced a new target to the number of contacts each officer is to make in relation to road traffic offences. We saw in today's Advertiser that the contact targets with drivers had been exceeded by some 45,000 contacts over and above the targets set. If we had 4,400 police officers on the beat, they would have exceeded their targets by some 100 targets each. I raised some concerns today in relation to these targets, and in particular suggested that it was a revenue raising action by the government and was not helping our road safety targets. It is interesting to note that in response to the statement I made the Minister for Road Safety came onto radio and said:

The target isn't about fines; the target's about contact with people. Sometimes they pull people over and tell them they've been doing a good job.

He then goes on to say:

Police have pulled over a number of people over the last year commending them on their driving skills.

My questions to the minister are:

1. Given the community's concern surrounding the rise of outlaw motorcycle gangs and concerns about public safety in particular areas such as the city entertainment precinct, is this an efficient use of police resources?

2. Will the minister confirm that it is now SAPOL policy to pull over motorists who are driving within the law and offer commendations?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (14:34): Obviously that is a question for my colleague the Minister for Police in another place, and I will refer it to him. I should at least make the comment that the shadow minister for police seems to be the only person in this state who is not currently concerned about the situation on our roads. After a very proactive effort on the part of police and my colleague the former minister for road safety—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: —who did a very good job, this state last year achieved the lowest road toll recorded.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: Indeed it has, yet we have the shadow minister for police saying that police should not be putting their effort into road safety and that they should be doing other things. I would have thought the very fact that the road toll in this state has risen significantly this year compared to where it was last year is the very reason why our police should be as visible as possible on the road ensuring that motorists adhere to the law.

I think it is absolutely deplorable that members of the opposition should be attacking the police. Here we have the shadow minister for police attacking the police for being too vigilant in relation to road traffic matters at a time when we have an escalation in the road toll. I think it is absolutely disgraceful that they should take that attitude, and in doing so I think they would be alone. No wonder they sit where they do when they have attitudes like that.

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