The Hon. IAN GILFILLAN: I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Attorney-General, representing the Minister for Police, a question about police training and domestic violence issues.
 Leave granted.
 The Hon. IAN GILFILLAN: Regrettably, domestic violence is all too common throughout all sectors of our society and in May this year I communicated with the Minister attempting to get information about training and the Government's attitude to the matter. In his letter the Minister says:
 Domestic violence is recognised as one of society's most intolerable problems and the Government's domestic violence policy sets out comprehensive measures to combat domestic violence and to protect the victims of such acts of violence.
That, as everyone would agree, is a very worthy aim. There has been improvement and comprehensive strategies are now in place across agencies to address domestic violence. These days educators, social workers, health and housing officers, as well as police, are all playing important roles either in trying to prevent domestic violence or dealing with the consequences. Acknowledging that there have been improve-ments, the fact is there are still far too many incidents of domestic violence and it has been put to me that the attitude of some in the police force has been inadequate and, at times, downright negligent. Where police were reluctant previously, they are encour-aged to take part in some positive and productive way, and I quote the report:
 Just another domestic; now they do provide appropri-ate respect, protection and assistance to domestic violence survivors, as well as apprehend and prosecute offenders.
But, on the other side, there are still serving officers who carry the old attitudes, and a couple of what I describe as horror stories have been reported to me as incidents of domestic disputes. Apparently, several police officers stood back and witnessed but took no action as men, in one case, attacked and partly demolished a fibro house and, in another case, took a sledgehammer to a car, in both cases with ex-partners and children inside. Perhaps they believed that the men in these cases had the right to do those things.
 On 4 August this year, a telephone complaint was made to Elizabeth Police Station. The following report was provided by a person from the Northern Area Women's and Children's Shelter:
 On the evening of Tuesday 4 August this year, a woman was tricked into going (from the shelter) to a friend's house, where her ex confronted her with a knife and demanded she leave her son, which she did. He was on bail for assaulting her (part of bail conditions were that he not come near her). She reported it to Christies Beach Police Station (where previous assault had been handled). They referred her to Elizabeth (nearer to her) but neither police station would take action, despite (a) the knife or (b) the breach of bail conditions. The next day the professionally trained officers in the Family Violence Unit stepped in and took action.
According to the most recent Police Complaints Authority report, the incidence of complaints of failing to perform duty in connection with domestic disputes and restraining orders increased by 89 per cent in 1996-97 (the latest figures to which I could get access), an increase from 28 formal complaints to 53. This is a big increase and it worries me; maybe there is a return to the old situation of `stand back and let it happen'. They can play and should play policeó
 The PRESIDENT: Order! Is the honourable member getting close to asking a question?
 The Hon. IAN GILFILLAN: Very close, Sir.
 The PRESIDENT: There has been a lot of debate and some opinion in the preamble so far and, with respect, I ask the honourable member to wind up the explanation fairly soon.
 The Hon. IAN GILFILLAN: It is unfortunate that whatever opinions I have are shared by a lot of people in the community who have been victims, so I make no apology for that. A five day course is run by Sergeant Anne Prestwood of the police department. I have been told that many police who attend this course have expected to have an easy five days away from their normal job but over the week have become genuinely shocked into rethinking their own attitudes to domestic violence and have become much better police because of it.
 However, the statistics are that attendance is merely voluntary: only about 60 police each year attend this course and 87 per cent of serving police have not attended and, because only 60 can undertake it each year, this percent-age is not likely to reduce substantially. The course is so poorly funded that domestic violence survivors who address the police cannot be paid for their attendance. Officers can be referred to this course for training where police responses to domestic violence are considered inappropriate but, despite the huge jump in the number of complaints in this area, only two individuals have ever been identified and referred to training. I therefore ask the Minister:
 1. Why is police training in the area of domestic violence given such a low priority?
 2. What is the Government doing to address the big jump in complaints about police failing to perform duty in regard to domestic violence?
  The Hon. K.T. GRIFFIN: Some aspects of that question will, quite obviously, have to be referred to the Minister for Police and from him onto the Commissioner to get some detailed responses. But it is appropriate that I make one or two observations, because the Government has a concern that there is not an attitude among our law enforcement officers that, when they go to a scene that involves domestic violence, they take a hands-off approach and say, `It is just another domestic.' That, of course, used to be the perception some years ago, but I had thought that was changing and I believe that the attitude, certainly on the part of a lot of officers, is changing. Within the police there is the Domestic Violence Unit, the Victim Support Unit and a range of services designed to ensure that there is an appropriate and sensitive response to domestic violence incidents.
 If the honourable member can cite specific examples of where he or his constituents allege that there has been an improper or an inadequate reaction on the part of police, I would welcome that information being provided so that it could be examined. As I say, we are endeavouring all the time to ensure that domestic violence is dealt with appropri-ately. It is now clearly a crime. That is witnessed by the fact that this Government, and I in particu-lar, introduced in the first term of government a domestic violence Bill (which is now an Act). This legislation places special emphasis upon assaults which occur in the context of a domestic dispute and makes them a minor indictable offence.
 We have reviewed the restraining orders legislation. In that regard, I am not aware why there may be an increase in the number of restraining orders. It may be that we have made them more accessible or that we have made sure that the police are much more aware of the availability of telephone restraining orders. It may be that, in relation to children, mandatory notification of child abuse, which is frequently a manifestation of domestic violence, is properly administered.
 In addition, we have the ministerial forum for the preven-tion of domestic violence which includes, I think, five or six Ministers all directly involved with the responsibility in one way or another for dealing with issues relating to domestic violence, because we want the highest level of attention to be given to issues on a coordinated basis across the Government. There is also the national domestic violence summit in which we are playing a key role as well as the Domestic Violence Unit in the Department of Human Services. So, across Government there is a keen focus not only on helping victims of domestic violence but on the prevention of domestic violence because, in the longer term, if we cannot do something constructive about prevention, it will not help those who ultimately become victims or their families.
 I understand what the honourable member is focusing uponóand that is essentially the policeóbut I want to ensure that that is seen within the broader context of what is happening across Government and the State. In respect of the specific issues about the police which I have not been able to answer, I will endeavour to obtain some answers for the honourable member and bring back a reply.