❓ Mr. Jacob asks about measures for community members to voice law and order concerns at upcoming forums. The Minister responds by outlining a new forum model designed to prevent political grandstanding and ensure community voices are heard, referencing a past incident involving the Maylands member.
AnsweredQoN 501Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
COMMISSIONER OF POLICE AND MINISTER FOR
POLICE — COMMUNITY FORUMS
501. Mr A.P. JACOB to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the minister's
undertaking to recommence community forums around our state with the police
commissioner. I am very happy that the next forum will be near my electorate.
Mr A.P. O'Gorman interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Joondalup, I call you to order for the first time today.
Mr A.P. JACOB : I
am particularly pleased that the next forum will be near my electorate of Ocean
Reef. Can the minister please advise the house what measures have been put in
place to ensure local community members can air their concerns on law and
order?
POLICE — COMMUNITY FORUMS
501. Mr A.P. JACOB to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the minister's
undertaking to recommence community forums around our state with the police
commissioner. I am very happy that the next forum will be near my electorate.
Mr A.P. O'Gorman interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Joondalup, I call you to order for the first time today.
Mr A.P. JACOB : I
am particularly pleased that the next forum will be near my electorate of Ocean
Reef. Can the minister please advise the house what measures have been put in
place to ensure local community members can air their concerns on law and
order?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Ocean Reef for his question and his
interest in law and order, policing and road safety issues. There will be a
community forum in Clarkson on 4 October. I am very pleased to announce that
community forums will be recommencing. This came out of a conversation I had
with the Commissioner of Police after he had been on the record publicly
talking about the difficulty in hearing from members of the community at
community forums when members of Parliament take advantage of those
opportunities to grandstand, take up air time and drown out members of the
community, who do not always have access to the Commissioner of Police or the
Minister for Police. The commissioner and I have agreed on a model in which the
commissioner will not be placed in a position —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
The Commissioner of Police and I have agreed on a model whereby the commissioner
will answer questions from the community on operational issues. If members of
Parliament choose to try to take over these community forums, or misinterpret
the advice being offered to community members at these community forums, I will
step in and speak to those members of Parliament. To use an example —
Opposition members interjected.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : This is a serious issue, members. To use an example of the
type of behaviour I am talking about, a community forum was held in Mirrabooka
in March this year. At that community forum, the member for Maylands called for
a guarantee from a senior police officer present that Bayswater Police Station
would not be closed down. The response that the senior police officer gave was —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : The members for
Mindarie and Girrawheen, I formally call you to order for the first time today.
Only one person asked the question. I do not expect a torrent of interjections.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : I will quote a response that a senior police officer gave, as
reported —
''There are no plans to close
Bayswater police station within the next couple of years,'' he said.
''It would be a lie to say we
have not looked at (closing) Bayswater, as you know we have. It is a discussion
we will have within WA Police, probably in 2014.
This police officer had been put on the spot in a community
forum by the member for Maylands. Unbeknown to him, the member for Maylands
produced a leaflet in response to this; a leaflet that went out with the Leader
of the Opposition's name on it. It states —
A
dark cloud hangs over the future of Bayswater Police Station—despite
hollow assurances by the Barnett Government.
That is fearmongering in the member for Maylands'
community. The problem with this leaflet is that the information on it is
incorrect. The commissioner, not I —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Minister for Police, when you refer to a member in here you should expect some
feedback. That is what is happening. It does not help us to progress this
particular question or the answer to it. Although you have been referred to,
member for Maylands, might I also suggest that there are other people in this
place who wish to stand later today to ask questions. I do not want this
question or this answer delayed any further. I hope both you, Minister for
Police, and you, member for Maylands, understand that.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : I
will close by saying this is the risk in police officers giving information at
community forums. I would like to get on the record, and make it absolutely
clear to members in this house, that neither WA Police nor I have any plans to
close Bayswater Police Station now or at any time in the future. Perhaps the
member concerned might like to put a flyer out in her electorate correcting the
record, or perhaps she might like to put a flyer out saying that she is
responsible for blowing away the dark clouds that are hanging over Bayswater
Police Station! For the record, it will not be closed.
The SPEAKER :
Minister for Police and member for Maylands, you may recall I stood about a
minute ago in this place and indicated something to you which you should have
understood. Minister for Police, I formally call you to order for the first
time. Member for Maylands, I formally call you to order for the first time.
When I sit down, I am going to seek another question.
interest in law and order, policing and road safety issues. There will be a
community forum in Clarkson on 4 October. I am very pleased to announce that
community forums will be recommencing. This came out of a conversation I had
with the Commissioner of Police after he had been on the record publicly
talking about the difficulty in hearing from members of the community at
community forums when members of Parliament take advantage of those
opportunities to grandstand, take up air time and drown out members of the
community, who do not always have access to the Commissioner of Police or the
Minister for Police. The commissioner and I have agreed on a model in which the
commissioner will not be placed in a position —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
The Commissioner of Police and I have agreed on a model whereby the commissioner
will answer questions from the community on operational issues. If members of
Parliament choose to try to take over these community forums, or misinterpret
the advice being offered to community members at these community forums, I will
step in and speak to those members of Parliament. To use an example —
Opposition members interjected.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : This is a serious issue, members. To use an example of the
type of behaviour I am talking about, a community forum was held in Mirrabooka
in March this year. At that community forum, the member for Maylands called for
a guarantee from a senior police officer present that Bayswater Police Station
would not be closed down. The response that the senior police officer gave was —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : The members for
Mindarie and Girrawheen, I formally call you to order for the first time today.
Only one person asked the question. I do not expect a torrent of interjections.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : I will quote a response that a senior police officer gave, as
reported —
''There are no plans to close
Bayswater police station within the next couple of years,'' he said.
''It would be a lie to say we
have not looked at (closing) Bayswater, as you know we have. It is a discussion
we will have within WA Police, probably in 2014.
This police officer had been put on the spot in a community
forum by the member for Maylands. Unbeknown to him, the member for Maylands
produced a leaflet in response to this; a leaflet that went out with the Leader
of the Opposition's name on it. It states —
A
dark cloud hangs over the future of Bayswater Police Station—despite
hollow assurances by the Barnett Government.
That is fearmongering in the member for Maylands'
community. The problem with this leaflet is that the information on it is
incorrect. The commissioner, not I —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Minister for Police, when you refer to a member in here you should expect some
feedback. That is what is happening. It does not help us to progress this
particular question or the answer to it. Although you have been referred to,
member for Maylands, might I also suggest that there are other people in this
place who wish to stand later today to ask questions. I do not want this
question or this answer delayed any further. I hope both you, Minister for
Police, and you, member for Maylands, understand that.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : I
will close by saying this is the risk in police officers giving information at
community forums. I would like to get on the record, and make it absolutely
clear to members in this house, that neither WA Police nor I have any plans to
close Bayswater Police Station now or at any time in the future. Perhaps the
member concerned might like to put a flyer out in her electorate correcting the
record, or perhaps she might like to put a flyer out saying that she is
responsible for blowing away the dark clouds that are hanging over Bayswater
Police Station! For the record, it will not be closed.
The SPEAKER :
Minister for Police and member for Maylands, you may recall I stood about a
minute ago in this place and indicated something to you which you should have
understood. Minister for Police, I formally call you to order for the first
time. Member for Maylands, I formally call you to order for the first time.
When I sit down, I am going to seek another question.
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