Legislative Council
POLICE SALARIES
The Hon. IAN GILFILLAN: I seek leave to make a brief
explanation before asking the Minister for Justice, in his role representing the Minister
for Police, a question about police salaries.
Leave granted.
The Hon. IAN GILFILLAN: It is well known that the police service
has had a budget cut this year of some $4 million. The Commissioner of Police is charged
with the responsibility of running the service within this budget and has therefore been
trying to come up with ways of saving that amount of money. It is a difficult job and I do
not envy him that task. Among ideas that have been floated publicly to save money was the
newspaper headline last month which raised the possibility of limiting detective work to
office hours, 9 to 5, Monday to Friday. I understand that that idea has not been adopted
yet in its entirety. However, I have been told that rosters have been changed and overtime
budget limits set that have caused some disquiet among CIB officers. They wonder how they
will investigate a murder which occurs late at night the day after the overtime budget
limit has been reached. Nevertheless, these are the sorts of questions and issues that the
Commissioner will have to resolve.
Looking to the future, with the prospect of further budget cuts next year and what
this could do to the take-home pay of hard working, loyal and dedicated police, I am
advised that many police officers fear that their existing penalty or overtime rates will
be targeted next in a bid to accommodate not only this year's budget cut but also any
additional cut next year. Anyone who signs on as a police officer realises they will be
required to work odd hours as part of the job, but for many officers the inconvenience and
disruption of working irregular and unsociable hours is compensated for by the provision
of penalty rates. They accept the hours and they accept a higher rate of pay for working
those hours.
The availability of penalty rates is what helps to make the job acceptable. Not only
that, but many hard working police officers in fact rely on regular consistent penalty and
overtime rates to be able to pay mortgages, feed and generally maintain their families.
For two thirds to three quarters of the service, I am advised that their base pay is
topped up by 20 per cent regularly with overtime and penalty payments. It is a major cost
factor for the Police Commissioner but it is also a major and, up until now, reliable
support for the household families of police officers in South Australia. In nine months
of negotiations with the Police Association, I am advised that the Commissioner has not
sought to raise the issue of penalty rates, but maybe that is in the wings waiting to come
up in the context of next year's budget. My questions that I would like the Minister to
address now are:
1. How many police officers regularly receive penalty rates and/or overtime pay?
2. What would the average police officer receive in the way of overtime pay and
penalty rates, both in dollar terms and as a percentage of the average officer's total
pay?
3. Is there any intention to substantially reduce or even abolish penalty overtime
rates for police or for police in certain sections? If so, what effect would that have on
the average take home pay of those police officers affected?
The Hon. K.T. GRIFFIN: I am sure the honourable member knows that
both the Government and the Police Association are locked in an enterprise bargaining
framework presently, and a variety of issues are being discussed. I do not intend to
debate the questions at length, except to say a lot of fog is being created about what the
Commissioner did or did not say. I know the Commissioner did specifically respond in the
media to the assertion that, because of issues about rosters and shift work, offences like
homicide committed at night will not be investigated then but will have to wait until the
morning shift commences. That is arrant nonsense and will not occur.
The Commissioner has said that when crime occurs police will be available to deal
with that criminal behaviour. He has also said that he wants flexibility in the work force
to be able to ensure that police are available at times when needed and not just because
they have been sitting in a roster pattern that has become tradition rather than being
necessarily suited to the needs of the public and to SA Police. I will arrange for the
honourable member's questions to be referred to the Minister in another place and will
bring back more comprehensive replies.