Mr. Birney questions the Minister about the potential impact of cancelling a contract for court security and prisoner transport, specifically regarding the transfer of police officers to non-police duties and the need for additional recruitment. The Minister avoids directly answering, dismissing the question as premature and irrelevant.

AnsweredQoN 443Legislative Assembly
Asked
26 February 2003
Portfolio
Police and Emergency Services

QuestionView source ↗

I refer the minister to the now pretty much defunct ALP election policy known as, believe it or not, “more police, better policing”. It states that Labor will work to identify more areas where civilian staff can be used for non-police duties. (1) Will the minister confirm that the cancellation of the court security and prisoner transport contract with Australian Integration Management Services Pty Ltd as recommended by section 63 of the Government’s Functional Review Taskforce would mean that approximately 145 police officers would be transferred from the street to carry out non-police duties currently undertaken by AIMS, such as driving prison trucks and hanging around in court rooms? (2) Given that the latest Police Service annual report already shows a decrease in the number of sworn police officers, will the minister allocate additional funds to the Police Service to recruit the 145 replacement officers? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS

AnswerView source ↗

(1)-(2) After the Opposition has had two or three months to ask a decent question, yesterday I was surprised to be asked a question about Crime Stoppers. It was suggested that I had in some way directed an advertisement in a newspaper; however, I had no involvement. Today the member for Kalgoorlie is so short of questions to ask that he has replicated the topic he has prepared for this afternoon’s private members’ business. I repeat that the recommendations of the Functional Review Taskforce are just recommendations. No decision whatsoever has been made.
(1) Will the minister confirm that the cancellation of the court security and prisoner transport contract with Australian Integration Management Services Pty Ltd as recommended by section 63 of the Government’s Functional Review Taskforce would mean that approximately 145 police officers would be transferred from the street to carry out non-police duties currently undertaken by AIMS, such as driving prison trucks and hanging around in court rooms? (2) Given that the latest Police Service annual report already shows a decrease in the number of sworn police officers, will the minister allocate additional funds to the Police Service to recruit the 145 replacement officers? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(2) After the Opposition has had two or three months to ask a decent question, yesterday I was surprised to be asked a question about Crime Stoppers. It was suggested that I had in some way directed an advertisement in a newspaper; however, I had no involvement. Today the member for Kalgoorlie is so short of questions to ask that he has replicated the topic he has prepared for this afternoon’s private members’ business. I repeat that the recommendations of the Functional Review Taskforce are just recommendations. No decision whatsoever has been made.
(2) Given that the latest Police Service annual report already shows a decrease in the number of sworn police officers, will the minister allocate additional funds to the Police Service to recruit the 145 replacement officers? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(2) After the Opposition has had two or three months to ask a decent question, yesterday I was surprised to be asked a question about Crime Stoppers. It was suggested that I had in some way directed an advertisement in a newspaper; however, I had no involvement. Today the member for Kalgoorlie is so short of questions to ask that he has replicated the topic he has prepared for this afternoon’s private members’ business. I repeat that the recommendations of the Functional Review Taskforce are just recommendations. No decision whatsoever has been made.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(2) After the Opposition has had two or three months to ask a decent question, yesterday I was surprised to be asked a question about Crime Stoppers. It was suggested that I had in some way directed an advertisement in a newspaper; however, I had no involvement. Today the member for Kalgoorlie is so short of questions to ask that he has replicated the topic he has prepared for this afternoon’s private members’ business. I repeat that the recommendations of the Functional Review Taskforce are just recommendations. No decision whatsoever has been made.
(1)-(2) After the Opposition has had two or three months to ask a decent question, yesterday I was surprised to be asked a question about Crime Stoppers. It was suggested that I had in some way directed an advertisement in a newspaper; however, I had no involvement. Today the member for Kalgoorlie is so short of questions to ask that he has replicated the topic he has prepared for this afternoon’s private members’ business. I repeat that the recommendations of the Functional Review Taskforce are just recommendations. No decision whatsoever has been made.

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