❓ The Minister for Police defends the government's record on police recruitment and pay, highlighting increases in officer numbers and ongoing wage negotiations, while deflecting specific questions on penalty rates and switch-off clauses.
AnsweredQoN 610Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
POLICE
— WORKING CONDITIONS
610. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Minister for Police:
With police officers leaving the Western Australia Police
Force in the hundreds each month and with the minister's promise to
deliver an additional 950 polices officers now seeming like a pipedream, I ask
the following.
(1) Does the
minister endorse the Commissioner of Police's support for penalty rates
for our hardworking police officers to bring them in line with other public
servants?
(2) Does the
minister support the police in their calls to establish a switch-off clause in
their conditions?
— WORKING CONDITIONS
610. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Minister for Police:
With police officers leaving the Western Australia Police
Force in the hundreds each month and with the minister's promise to
deliver an additional 950 polices officers now seeming like a pipedream, I ask
the following.
(1) Does the
minister endorse the Commissioner of Police's support for penalty rates
for our hardworking police officers to bring them in line with other public
servants?
(2) Does the
minister support the police in their calls to establish a switch-off clause in
their conditions?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
I disagree with the premise the member posed at the start of her question. We
have committed to growing the Western Australia Police Force by 950 above
attrition. That will be 10 times more than members opposite did in the last
five years of their time in office, in which time they grew the police force by
a net of 95. It is a high target, but the police are resourced to do that.
Today—the last time I got the numbers was at the end of September—there
are 481 more police officers than when we took office. The police force has
grown by 481. Noting there are only about 7 000 of them, that is a pretty
significant number.
Next Wednesday or Thursday, I will
be going to yet another graduation at the Western Australia Police Academy, at
which 50 or so police officers will graduate. I went to a graduation a couple
of weeks ago. There is one every month.
Right now, there are some 150 officers training at the academy. Only a week ago ,
the Commissioner of Police was with me at the academy for a jobs expo. Many
thousands of people came to view displays and seek information about careers in
the police force, and more than 120 applications were made within three days of
that expo.
Thanks to many months of work, we
have settled on a labour agreement with the federal government, well in advance
of every other jurisdiction. As the member would have seen, last weekend we
announced a campaign to recruit qualified police officers from New Zealand,
Ireland and the United Kingdom. I am pretty confident that we are going to get
950 above attrition because the police are doing such a good job of recruiting.
That is their job.
I refer back to the point I made
at the start: there are 481 more police officers now than when members opposite were in office. The police force is
significantly larger and better equipped than when we came to government. I will not reflect on the leadership, but I will make the
observation that we have an excellent police commissioner.
With respect to whether police
should be paid more, yes, and they are going to be. That is what the wages case is about and it is what the negotiations are
about. We have a wages policy that means they will get paid more. Beyond
the wages policy, there is an opportunity to negotiate conditions. I am not
involved in that. If the member wants to talk about whether particular issues
or subjects for negotiation might be acceptable, she needs to talk to the
minister responsible, but I am not that minister.
As
far as supporting the police goes, I will make a final observation. I have
constantly supported the police. I commend them for the outstanding role
they have performed, particularly during the COVID pandemic and subsequently.
They have defended the state against COVID and they have continued to provide
excellent police services at the same time.
I disagree with the premise the member posed at the start of her question. We
have committed to growing the Western Australia Police Force by 950 above
attrition. That will be 10 times more than members opposite did in the last
five years of their time in office, in which time they grew the police force by
a net of 95. It is a high target, but the police are resourced to do that.
Today—the last time I got the numbers was at the end of September—there
are 481 more police officers than when we took office. The police force has
grown by 481. Noting there are only about 7 000 of them, that is a pretty
significant number.
Next Wednesday or Thursday, I will
be going to yet another graduation at the Western Australia Police Academy, at
which 50 or so police officers will graduate. I went to a graduation a couple
of weeks ago. There is one every month.
Right now, there are some 150 officers training at the academy. Only a week ago ,
the Commissioner of Police was with me at the academy for a jobs expo. Many
thousands of people came to view displays and seek information about careers in
the police force, and more than 120 applications were made within three days of
that expo.
Thanks to many months of work, we
have settled on a labour agreement with the federal government, well in advance
of every other jurisdiction. As the member would have seen, last weekend we
announced a campaign to recruit qualified police officers from New Zealand,
Ireland and the United Kingdom. I am pretty confident that we are going to get
950 above attrition because the police are doing such a good job of recruiting.
That is their job.
I refer back to the point I made
at the start: there are 481 more police officers now than when members opposite were in office. The police force is
significantly larger and better equipped than when we came to government. I will not reflect on the leadership, but I will make the
observation that we have an excellent police commissioner.
With respect to whether police
should be paid more, yes, and they are going to be. That is what the wages case is about and it is what the negotiations are
about. We have a wages policy that means they will get paid more. Beyond
the wages policy, there is an opportunity to negotiate conditions. I am not
involved in that. If the member wants to talk about whether particular issues
or subjects for negotiation might be acceptable, she needs to talk to the
minister responsible, but I am not that minister.
As
far as supporting the police goes, I will make a final observation. I have
constantly supported the police. I commend them for the outstanding role
they have performed, particularly during the COVID pandemic and subsequently.
They have defended the state against COVID and they have continued to provide
excellent police services at the same time.
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