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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-02-06 Daily Xml
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Liquor Thefts

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:36): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Attorney-General questions concerning recent liquor thefts in South Australia.

Leave granted.

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO: According to a report published on the SAPOL website on 10 January 2025, nine people were arrested after a theft at a Marden bottle shop on 9 January 2025. The Advertiser reported on 31 January 2025 that a further eight people were arrested after two separate bottle shop raids at Norwood and North Adelaide.

The Australian Hotels Association has voiced its concern over the increasing brazenness of these thefts, noting that offenders often come equipped with weapons and, if not, they immediately have one as soon as they pick up a bottle. My questions to the Attorney-General are:

1. Can he provide data on how often courts have applied the maximum penalties (or close to the maximum penalties) for liquor theft offences?

2. Is the government planning to undertake a review of the sentencing relating to liquor theft to determine whether judicial discretion is leading to lenient penalties that fail to act as a deterrent?

3. Can he confirm how many offenders charged with bottle shop thefts have been granted bail and have subsequently reoffended whilst on bail over the past 12 months?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State) (14:37): We take community safely very, very seriously, particularly in relation to the safety of those who work in retail settings. We have made a number of changes to the law already in this term of government to help increase safety for those working in retail settings, having frontline retail workers as the category of workers for whom an aggravated offence applies if they are assaulted. We recently announced an intention to introduce workplace protection orders that will be particularly relevant in retail settings and would not just apply to individual stores but to entire shopping precincts.

In relation to the specifics of the question, I am happy to take it on notice. I do not think there is a separate category of liquor bottle shop theft as distinct from other sorts of theft from retail outlets. I am not sure if the statistics are available, but I am certainly happy to see whether it can be broken down. I am not sure that that is the case, but if they can I am very happy to bring back an answer.

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