❓ Question on the Police Amendment (Medical Retirement) Bill 2019, focusing on dignified treatment for medically retired officers and contrasting the new scheme with the previous government's approach. The Minister's answer is highly critical of the previous government's inaction.
AnsweredQoN 329Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
POLICE AMENDMENT (MEDICAL RETIREMENT) BILL 2019
329. Mr S.A. MILLMAN to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the landmark legislation
that the McGowan Labor government introduced today that will create a new
standalone scheme for medically retired injured and ill police officers. Can
the minister outline to the house how the new scheme will ensure that injured
police officers who can no longer serve will be treated with the respect and
dignity they deserve; and can the minister outline to the house how this
approach compares with the approach taken to medically retired officers by the
former Minister for Police the member for Scarborough?
329. Mr S.A. MILLMAN to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the landmark legislation
that the McGowan Labor government introduced today that will create a new
standalone scheme for medically retired injured and ill police officers. Can
the minister outline to the house how the new scheme will ensure that injured
police officers who can no longer serve will be treated with the respect and
dignity they deserve; and can the minister outline to the house how this
approach compares with the approach taken to medically retired officers by the
former Minister for Police the member for Scarborough?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Mount Lawley
for his question and for his support of police officers in this state. Indeed,
as an advocate for workers, the member for Mount Lawley has a proud history of
supporting all workers in this state and police officers are just that—they
are workers. They work very hard in our community.
Mrs L.M. Harvey : They're
working harder than anyone in your lot!
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough, I call you to order for the first time.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Yes, that
is right; they work much harder than the member for Scarborough works. I have
not seen her about too much in the last few weeks either.
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough!
Mr D.J. Kelly interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister for
Water! You have your own minister on her feet.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : They work
hard. This is a serious matter. The member for Scarborough neglected this area
when she was minister, so she should not bother interrupting now. She should
just sit there in shame.
Mrs L.M. Harvey : Shame.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Shame—absolutely.
Because all she ever did for these officers was pay them lip-service by saying,
''Yes, I support you, we support you'' but did nothing to support
them. These are the people who turn out on a daily basis to suicides and
murders, who have to interview victims of child abuse and the elderly when they
are bashed, who turn out to serious road crashes and fatalities and see the
mangled bodies, and do the death knock at the door.
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine, I call you to order for the first time.
Dr A.D. Buti interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Armadale, I call you to order for the first time.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : They have
to tell parents that their child has been killed in a road crash and describe
the circumstances surrounding it. All of that can take a toll and does take a toll
on police officers and their families. Some police officers, from time to time,
find that they cannot continue to do that role of police officer. They have
been to way too many fatal crashes and tragic incidents, they have had to
operate in a high pressure environment, and they have a genuine illness or
injury. Because of that, we need to have a dignified process for medically
retiring those officers.
Unfortunately,
the medical retirement provisions for police officers have in the past been
dealt with under section 8 of the Police Act of this state. Section 8 is
generally more associated with people who are being sent out of the police
force because of misconduct or integrity issues. These fine officers should not
be associated in any way with the section 8 process. I want to pay some tribute
to the Medically Retired Western Australian Police Officers Association, headed
up by Mr Dave Bentley. Today I was so pleased, and Dave was thrilled, to see
this historic landmark legislation being introduced, as were Dave Nelson, Dave
Mathews and Paul Hunt, who were representing the Western Australia Police Union
because President Harry Arnott and Vice-President Mick Kelly are in Adelaide
this week and could not be here. I was keen to get the legislation introduced
today, in their absence, so that we can hopefully pass it through this house in
June, and it can go through the upper house at either the end of June or when
Parliament resumes in August.
The former government said that it
was listening and that it would act, but did nothing. That is in stark contrast
to the commitment that the Premier, as then
Leader of the Opposition, gave at the police union conference in 2015. In 2015,
our Premier made a commitment to Dave Bentley, medically retired police
officers and the WA Police Union , that we would deliver, and that we
would move medical retirement out of section 8. We would take that indignity
away, move it and put in place a proper process in another section of the
Police Act. It is only right and fair.
Today, I am delighted that our government, our Premier and
our cabinet have agreed to this. We will give it priority in here and make that
change. After the Premier made that commitment in 2015, the former government—which
had already wasted seven years—wasted another year and still did
nothing about it at all. That was the level of support for our police officers
in this state. It was just lip-service. When it came to action, the member for
Scarborough did not deliver. Our government has delivered and I am proud of our
government.
for his question and for his support of police officers in this state. Indeed,
as an advocate for workers, the member for Mount Lawley has a proud history of
supporting all workers in this state and police officers are just that—they
are workers. They work very hard in our community.
Mrs L.M. Harvey : They're
working harder than anyone in your lot!
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough, I call you to order for the first time.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Yes, that
is right; they work much harder than the member for Scarborough works. I have
not seen her about too much in the last few weeks either.
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough!
Mr D.J. Kelly interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister for
Water! You have your own minister on her feet.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : They work
hard. This is a serious matter. The member for Scarborough neglected this area
when she was minister, so she should not bother interrupting now. She should
just sit there in shame.
Mrs L.M. Harvey : Shame.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Shame—absolutely.
Because all she ever did for these officers was pay them lip-service by saying,
''Yes, I support you, we support you'' but did nothing to support
them. These are the people who turn out on a daily basis to suicides and
murders, who have to interview victims of child abuse and the elderly when they
are bashed, who turn out to serious road crashes and fatalities and see the
mangled bodies, and do the death knock at the door.
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine, I call you to order for the first time.
Dr A.D. Buti interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Armadale, I call you to order for the first time.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : They have
to tell parents that their child has been killed in a road crash and describe
the circumstances surrounding it. All of that can take a toll and does take a toll
on police officers and their families. Some police officers, from time to time,
find that they cannot continue to do that role of police officer. They have
been to way too many fatal crashes and tragic incidents, they have had to
operate in a high pressure environment, and they have a genuine illness or
injury. Because of that, we need to have a dignified process for medically
retiring those officers.
Unfortunately,
the medical retirement provisions for police officers have in the past been
dealt with under section 8 of the Police Act of this state. Section 8 is
generally more associated with people who are being sent out of the police
force because of misconduct or integrity issues. These fine officers should not
be associated in any way with the section 8 process. I want to pay some tribute
to the Medically Retired Western Australian Police Officers Association, headed
up by Mr Dave Bentley. Today I was so pleased, and Dave was thrilled, to see
this historic landmark legislation being introduced, as were Dave Nelson, Dave
Mathews and Paul Hunt, who were representing the Western Australia Police Union
because President Harry Arnott and Vice-President Mick Kelly are in Adelaide
this week and could not be here. I was keen to get the legislation introduced
today, in their absence, so that we can hopefully pass it through this house in
June, and it can go through the upper house at either the end of June or when
Parliament resumes in August.
The former government said that it
was listening and that it would act, but did nothing. That is in stark contrast
to the commitment that the Premier, as then
Leader of the Opposition, gave at the police union conference in 2015. In 2015,
our Premier made a commitment to Dave Bentley, medically retired police
officers and the WA Police Union , that we would deliver, and that we
would move medical retirement out of section 8. We would take that indignity
away, move it and put in place a proper process in another section of the
Police Act. It is only right and fair.
Today, I am delighted that our government, our Premier and
our cabinet have agreed to this. We will give it priority in here and make that
change. After the Premier made that commitment in 2015, the former government—which
had already wasted seven years—wasted another year and still did
nothing about it at all. That was the level of support for our police officers
in this state. It was just lip-service. When it came to action, the member for
Scarborough did not deliver. Our government has delivered and I am proud of our
government.
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