❓ Question regarding the Police Union's request for officers to wear accoutrements in court and when the Minister raised the issue with the Attorney General. The Minister responded, outlining discussions with the Attorney General and the Chief Justice.
AnsweredQoN 797Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WA POLICE — COURT ACCOUTREMENTS
797. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS to the Minister for
Police:
On behalf of my colleague the member
for Girrawheen, I welcome the students of Ashdale Secondary College to our
Parliament today.
Yesterday the minister advised the
house in question time that —
� if the union raises an issue with
me, I get to work on resolving the problem.
(1) Did the
Western Australian Police Union not write to the minister on 21 January
regarding the issue of wearing accoutrements in courts, asking for urgent
action and suggesting that the minister raise the matter with the Attorney General?
(2) When did
the minister first raise the matter with the Attorney General?
797. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS to the Minister for
Police:
On behalf of my colleague the member
for Girrawheen, I welcome the students of Ashdale Secondary College to our
Parliament today.
Yesterday the minister advised the
house in question time that —
� if the union raises an issue with
me, I get to work on resolving the problem.
(1) Did the
Western Australian Police Union not write to the minister on 21 January
regarding the issue of wearing accoutrements in courts, asking for urgent
action and suggesting that the minister raise the matter with the Attorney General?
(2) When did
the minister first raise the matter with the Attorney General?
AnswerView source ↗
I appreciate
this question from the member for Midland.
(1)–(2)
Yes, that is correct, the union did write to me in January and we discussed at
our meeting very early in the year the issue of police officers wanting to wear
their accoutrements in court. I had a discussion with the Attorney General on
this issue, and the Attorney General advised me that he cannot direct the
magistrates and the judges as to how they run their courtrooms.
Point of Order
Mrs
M.H. ROBERTS : I asked the minister specifically when she first
raised the matter with the Attorney General. That is the answer I am seeking.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Midland, that is not a point of order. Just let the minister answer.
I want a succinct answer, minister.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : Mr Speaker, I will attempt to give a succinct answer. I
do note that yesterday my answer to the question from the member for Midland
was 558 words, which I can usually get out in a three-minute ministerial
statement. It did take considerably longer because of the rabble over there
objecting throughout my answer to the question.
The SPEAKER :
Right. Just let me tell you something now: you have just wasted another minute
telling me about 558 words.
Mr P.B. Watson interjected.
The SPEAKER : I do
not want to hear from you, thank you, member for Albany. Just answer the
question, please.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Going back to what I was saying, I had a conversation with
the Attorney General on receipt of the letter, and he advised me that he cannot
direct the courts and the judiciary as to how they run their courts. He
suggested that the police union speak to the Chief Justice and the Chief
Magistrate to discuss the matter and to try to arrive at a satisfactory
outcome. As it happened, around that time I had a meeting scheduled already
with Chief Justice Wayne Martin. I raised the issue with him in a discussion
and he said he was prepared to sit down with police and discuss the issue, and
try to arrive at a satisfactory outcome about police wearing accoutrements in
court. The police have requested that the courts allow them to wear
accoutrements because of the heightened threat level that they are currently
operating under, and have been since September 2014. So there is a process in
train. The police officers are in discussions with the heads of the courts, the
heads of jurisdictions, and there is a commitment I believe on both sides to
try to arrive at a satisfactory outcome to resolve the issue of the police
officers wanting to maintain their response to the heightened threat alert that
they are operating under while still respecting the jurisdiction of the courts.
this question from the member for Midland.
(1)–(2)
Yes, that is correct, the union did write to me in January and we discussed at
our meeting very early in the year the issue of police officers wanting to wear
their accoutrements in court. I had a discussion with the Attorney General on
this issue, and the Attorney General advised me that he cannot direct the
magistrates and the judges as to how they run their courtrooms.
Point of Order
Mrs
M.H. ROBERTS : I asked the minister specifically when she first
raised the matter with the Attorney General. That is the answer I am seeking.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Midland, that is not a point of order. Just let the minister answer.
I want a succinct answer, minister.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : Mr Speaker, I will attempt to give a succinct answer. I
do note that yesterday my answer to the question from the member for Midland
was 558 words, which I can usually get out in a three-minute ministerial
statement. It did take considerably longer because of the rabble over there
objecting throughout my answer to the question.
The SPEAKER :
Right. Just let me tell you something now: you have just wasted another minute
telling me about 558 words.
Mr P.B. Watson interjected.
The SPEAKER : I do
not want to hear from you, thank you, member for Albany. Just answer the
question, please.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Going back to what I was saying, I had a conversation with
the Attorney General on receipt of the letter, and he advised me that he cannot
direct the courts and the judiciary as to how they run their courts. He
suggested that the police union speak to the Chief Justice and the Chief
Magistrate to discuss the matter and to try to arrive at a satisfactory
outcome. As it happened, around that time I had a meeting scheduled already
with Chief Justice Wayne Martin. I raised the issue with him in a discussion
and he said he was prepared to sit down with police and discuss the issue, and
try to arrive at a satisfactory outcome about police wearing accoutrements in
court. The police have requested that the courts allow them to wear
accoutrements because of the heightened threat level that they are currently
operating under, and have been since September 2014. So there is a process in
train. The police officers are in discussions with the heads of the courts, the
heads of jurisdictions, and there is a commitment I believe on both sides to
try to arrive at a satisfactory outcome to resolve the issue of the police
officers wanting to maintain their response to the heightened threat alert that
they are operating under while still respecting the jurisdiction of the courts.
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