❓ Question regarding potential future closures of two-man police stations in WA. The Minister deflects, stating the Commissioner doesn't foresee further reviews and defends the government's investment in police occupational health and safety, contrasting it with the previous opposition's record.
AnsweredQoN 373Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
COUNTRY POLICE STATION CLOSURES
By way of a supplementary question, if the Commissioner of Police comes to the minister requesting further closures of two-man police station, will the minister oppose his request? Mr J.C. KOBELKE
By way of a supplementary question, if the Commissioner of Police comes to the minister requesting further closures of two-man police station, will the minister oppose his request? Mr J.C. KOBELKE
AnswerView source ↗
I do not expect that the commissioner will come to me suggesting that he is taking any such action. As I have already said in the debate, the commissioner has told me that, having done this review, he believes there will be no further review in the foreseeable future of police stations that meet operational levels. As was clearly indicated in the debate, most of the police stations closed were one-officer stations. In the past two to three years they had been expanded to two-officer stations, not on the basis of need because there clearly was not the need or demand in those areas, but simply on the basis of the occupational health and safety provisions that this government applied to police. The opposition was eight years in government. It did not care for police officers. It would not take the step to make sure that occupational health and safety provisions applied to police. We did it, we provided the extra police, and that is why we now have two-officer stations and not one-officer stations. Mr M.J. Cowper interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Murray to order for the third time. I now give the call to the member for Albany. Mr M.J. Birney interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Kalgoorlie!
Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: I do not expect that the commissioner will come to me suggesting that he is taking any such action. As I have already said in the debate, the commissioner has told me that, having done this review, he believes there will be no further review in the foreseeable future of police stations that meet operational levels. As was clearly indicated in the debate, most of the police stations closed were one-officer stations. In the past two to three years they had been expanded to two-officer stations, not on the basis of need because there clearly was not the need or demand in those areas, but simply on the basis of the occupational health and safety provisions that this government applied to police. The opposition was eight years in government. It did not care for police officers. It would not take the step to make sure that occupational health and safety provisions applied to police. We did it, we provided the extra police, and that is why we now have two-officer stations and not one-officer stations. Mr M.J. Cowper interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Murray to order for the third time. I now give the call to the member for Albany. Mr M.J. Birney interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Kalgoorlie!
I do not expect that the commissioner will come to me suggesting that he is taking any such action. As I have already said in the debate, the commissioner has told me that, having done this review, he believes there will be no further review in the foreseeable future of police stations that meet operational levels. As was clearly indicated in the debate, most of the police stations closed were one-officer stations. In the past two to three years they had been expanded to two-officer stations, not on the basis of need because there clearly was not the need or demand in those areas, but simply on the basis of the occupational health and safety provisions that this government applied to police. The opposition was eight years in government. It did not care for police officers. It would not take the step to make sure that occupational health and safety provisions applied to police. We did it, we provided the extra police, and that is why we now have two-officer stations and not one-officer stations. Mr M.J. Cowper interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Murray to order for the third time. I now give the call to the member for Albany. Mr M.J. Birney interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Kalgoorlie!
Mr M.J. Cowper interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Murray to order for the third time. I now give the call to the member for Albany. Mr M.J. Birney interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Kalgoorlie!
The SPEAKER : I call the member for Murray to order for the third time. I now give the call to the member for Albany. Mr M.J. Birney interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Kalgoorlie!
Mr M.J. Birney interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Kalgoorlie!
The SPEAKER : Order, member for Kalgoorlie!
Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: I do not expect that the commissioner will come to me suggesting that he is taking any such action. As I have already said in the debate, the commissioner has told me that, having done this review, he believes there will be no further review in the foreseeable future of police stations that meet operational levels. As was clearly indicated in the debate, most of the police stations closed were one-officer stations. In the past two to three years they had been expanded to two-officer stations, not on the basis of need because there clearly was not the need or demand in those areas, but simply on the basis of the occupational health and safety provisions that this government applied to police. The opposition was eight years in government. It did not care for police officers. It would not take the step to make sure that occupational health and safety provisions applied to police. We did it, we provided the extra police, and that is why we now have two-officer stations and not one-officer stations. Mr M.J. Cowper interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Murray to order for the third time. I now give the call to the member for Albany. Mr M.J. Birney interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Kalgoorlie!
I do not expect that the commissioner will come to me suggesting that he is taking any such action. As I have already said in the debate, the commissioner has told me that, having done this review, he believes there will be no further review in the foreseeable future of police stations that meet operational levels. As was clearly indicated in the debate, most of the police stations closed were one-officer stations. In the past two to three years they had been expanded to two-officer stations, not on the basis of need because there clearly was not the need or demand in those areas, but simply on the basis of the occupational health and safety provisions that this government applied to police. The opposition was eight years in government. It did not care for police officers. It would not take the step to make sure that occupational health and safety provisions applied to police. We did it, we provided the extra police, and that is why we now have two-officer stations and not one-officer stations. Mr M.J. Cowper interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Murray to order for the third time. I now give the call to the member for Albany. Mr M.J. Birney interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Kalgoorlie!
Mr M.J. Cowper interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Murray to order for the third time. I now give the call to the member for Albany. Mr M.J. Birney interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Kalgoorlie!
The SPEAKER : I call the member for Murray to order for the third time. I now give the call to the member for Albany. Mr M.J. Birney interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Kalgoorlie!
Mr M.J. Birney interjected. The SPEAKER : Order, member for Kalgoorlie!
The SPEAKER : Order, member for Kalgoorlie!
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