❓ Mrs Roberts questions the Minister for Police about a shortfall in the 2008 election promise to increase police staffing by 700. The Minister deflects, focusing on the 2013 commitment and highlighting positive achievements in policing.
AnsweredQoN 123Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
POLICE —
STAFFING — ELECTION COMMITMENTS
123. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS to the
Minister for Police:
I refer to the ''Report on Government Services 2015''
and table CA.5. Can I get one of attendants to take the minister over a copy so
that she knows exactly what I am referring to? Table CA.5 contains police staff
numbers for all Australian jurisdictions.
(1) Did the
minister's government not promise in the 2008 election to increase
total police staffing by 700 over five years?
(2) Given
these independent and nationally recognised figures show that the total police
staff in 2008‑09 was 7 474 and that in 2013‑14 it was just 377
more, has the government not fallen a massive 323 police staff short of the
Liberal Party's election promise?
STAFFING — ELECTION COMMITMENTS
123. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS to the
Minister for Police:
I refer to the ''Report on Government Services 2015''
and table CA.5. Can I get one of attendants to take the minister over a copy so
that she knows exactly what I am referring to? Table CA.5 contains police staff
numbers for all Australian jurisdictions.
(1) Did the
minister's government not promise in the 2008 election to increase
total police staffing by 700 over five years?
(2) Given
these independent and nationally recognised figures show that the total police
staff in 2008‑09 was 7 474 and that in 2013‑14 it was just 377
more, has the government not fallen a massive 323 police staff short of the
Liberal Party's election promise?
AnswerView source ↗
Mr Deputy Speaker —
The SPEAKER : No;
Mr Speaker.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
Mr Speaker, my apologies. I was taken back in time!
(1)–(2)
''Staff'' also includes public servants, so with respect to the
2008 commitment I would have to go back to find that election commitment
document, to be perfectly frank. But the 2013 election commitment that I am
responsible for implementing now was for an additional —
Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Midland, I do not want to hear from you until the minister has
answered.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : The 2013 election commitment was for an additional 550 police
and police auxiliary officers. That is 150 auxiliary officers, training for 200
detectives, and an additional 200 police officers. Notwithstanding that the
agency has self-funded a significant number of redundancies from within WA
Police, we are on track and on target to achieve our commitment we made to the
people of Western Australia in March 2013 that they vigorously endorsed. We are
on track and on target to achieve that goal. I am absolutely thrilled to be
attending yet another police graduation this Thursday evening, during which the
son of the Commissioner of Police, Dr Karl O'Callaghan, will be
graduating.
Point of Order
Mrs M.H.
ROBERTS : My question was
quite specific. It referred to the 700 additional staff promised at the 2008
election by the Liberal Party and its failure to deliver the 700 additional
staff. I would ask the minister to address that, not to say that she is not responsible
for it. I will provide a copy of that to the minister, too, if she likes.
The SPEAKER : No, thank you; you
have made your point.
Dr K.D. HAMES : Mr Speaker,
further to that point of order, the opposition continues to raise this issue of
the direct, specific answering of questions. The standing orders do not require
that; they require that the answers be relevant, and it is up to you to decide
whether it is relevant or not.
The
SPEAKER : Thank you for that. Minister, can you address the question that the
member for Midland asked you.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : I am more than happy to. I love talking about good news
stories for the Liberal‑National government, and this is a great news
story! We went to the election in 2008 promising 500 police and police
auxiliary officers. We have achieved it. We went to the electorate in March
2013 promising 550 additional police and police auxiliary officers, and we are
well on the way to achieving it. I am proud of that commitment. There are more
police officers in the state now than there have ever been. WA Police has a
$1.2 billion budget, it is engaged in a tremendous reform program and it is
changing the way it delivers policing to the community of Western Australia.
People in the community are endorsing what we are doing; they love the change
in policing effort out in our local communities. They love their local policing
teams. This is a great news story. Every time I stand in this place and talk
about policing I just have one good news story after another, and I thank the
member for Midland for giving me the opportunity to spruik it!
The SPEAKER : No;
Mr Speaker.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
Mr Speaker, my apologies. I was taken back in time!
(1)–(2)
''Staff'' also includes public servants, so with respect to the
2008 commitment I would have to go back to find that election commitment
document, to be perfectly frank. But the 2013 election commitment that I am
responsible for implementing now was for an additional —
Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Midland, I do not want to hear from you until the minister has
answered.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : The 2013 election commitment was for an additional 550 police
and police auxiliary officers. That is 150 auxiliary officers, training for 200
detectives, and an additional 200 police officers. Notwithstanding that the
agency has self-funded a significant number of redundancies from within WA
Police, we are on track and on target to achieve our commitment we made to the
people of Western Australia in March 2013 that they vigorously endorsed. We are
on track and on target to achieve that goal. I am absolutely thrilled to be
attending yet another police graduation this Thursday evening, during which the
son of the Commissioner of Police, Dr Karl O'Callaghan, will be
graduating.
Point of Order
Mrs M.H.
ROBERTS : My question was
quite specific. It referred to the 700 additional staff promised at the 2008
election by the Liberal Party and its failure to deliver the 700 additional
staff. I would ask the minister to address that, not to say that she is not responsible
for it. I will provide a copy of that to the minister, too, if she likes.
The SPEAKER : No, thank you; you
have made your point.
Dr K.D. HAMES : Mr Speaker,
further to that point of order, the opposition continues to raise this issue of
the direct, specific answering of questions. The standing orders do not require
that; they require that the answers be relevant, and it is up to you to decide
whether it is relevant or not.
The
SPEAKER : Thank you for that. Minister, can you address the question that the
member for Midland asked you.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : I am more than happy to. I love talking about good news
stories for the Liberal‑National government, and this is a great news
story! We went to the election in 2008 promising 500 police and police
auxiliary officers. We have achieved it. We went to the electorate in March
2013 promising 550 additional police and police auxiliary officers, and we are
well on the way to achieving it. I am proud of that commitment. There are more
police officers in the state now than there have ever been. WA Police has a
$1.2 billion budget, it is engaged in a tremendous reform program and it is
changing the way it delivers policing to the community of Western Australia.
People in the community are endorsing what we are doing; they love the change
in policing effort out in our local communities. They love their local policing
teams. This is a great news story. Every time I stand in this place and talk
about policing I just have one good news story after another, and I thank the
member for Midland for giving me the opportunity to spruik it!
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