❓ The Minister details the government's success in establishing multifunctional police facilities in remote Aboriginal communities, highlighting improved security, increased reporting of abuse, and criticising the lack of initial federal support. He welcomes later federal support.
AnsweredQoN 545Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
POLICE FACILITIES - ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES
Can the minister provide the house with further evidence of the government’s success in establishing multifunctional police facilities in remote Aboriginal communities? Mr J.C. KOBELKE
Can the minister provide the house with further evidence of the government’s success in establishing multifunctional police facilities in remote Aboriginal communities? Mr J.C. KOBELKE
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for her question and her keen interest in and support for so many remote Indigenous communities in the north of this state. I also thank her for her support for the Western Australian police who are working in those areas. I believe, again on the advice from the member for Kimberley and other members here, that our police at these multifunctional police facilities in remote areas are doing an outstanding job. They are building relationships with the people there and providing security that is very much needed. It is only this government that, following the Gordon inquiry, committed to actually dealing with abuse in Indigenous communities. A key element of that was to provide policing in communities that had never had proper policing facilities and to provide ongoing policing. As dire as some of the outcomes are, some very real and fantastic benefits are flowing to those communities. The people now have confidence that the police are there to protect and serve them, and through that confidence and the building of that relationship, people have come forward to make complaints about abuse and rape, and police have been able to take action. This is only because of the actions of the state government. Those actions were taken without any help from the federal Howard government, which was asked to assist us in what we knew would be a very difficult problem because of the evidence of abuse. The state government, unlike the previous government, said that it would not turn its face away from the problems in Indigenous communities. The government has put nine multifunctional remote police facilities - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. The DEPUTY SPEAKER : The member for Avon! Mr J.C. KOBELKE : Some 20 police officers are already stationed at these remote locations. There are six child protection workers, and support services are in place to try to help people in these situations. We have seen in Kalumburu in the past day or two that more people are coming forward and police are able to take complaints and lay charges. It is certainly a huge and difficult problem, but we would not even be aware of the extent of it or be able to tackle it had it not been for the decision made by the state government to put in place the multifunctional remote police facilities and to resource them. It is to the shame of the Howard government that it refused to even lift a finger to assist the state government. We now welcome its support, belated though it is, and we hope that through the assistance of the federal government we will be able to build more multifunctional remote police facilities. Again, it is the people of Western Australia who will run and staff these facilities, even though they are in very remote communities across the state.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: I thank the member for her question and her keen interest in and support for so many remote Indigenous communities in the north of this state. I also thank her for her support for the Western Australian police who are working in those areas. I believe, again on the advice from the member for Kimberley and other members here, that our police at these multifunctional police facilities in remote areas are doing an outstanding job. They are building relationships with the people there and providing security that is very much needed. It is only this government that, following the Gordon inquiry, committed to actually dealing with abuse in Indigenous communities. A key element of that was to provide policing in communities that had never had proper policing facilities and to provide ongoing policing. As dire as some of the outcomes are, some very real and fantastic benefits are flowing to those communities. The people now have confidence that the police are there to protect and serve them, and through that confidence and the building of that relationship, people have come forward to make complaints about abuse and rape, and police have been able to take action. This is only because of the actions of the state government. Those actions were taken without any help from the federal Howard government, which was asked to assist us in what we knew would be a very difficult problem because of the evidence of abuse. The state government, unlike the previous government, said that it would not turn its face away from the problems in Indigenous communities. The government has put nine multifunctional remote police facilities - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. The DEPUTY SPEAKER : The member for Avon! Mr J.C. KOBELKE : Some 20 police officers are already stationed at these remote locations. There are six child protection workers, and support services are in place to try to help people in these situations. We have seen in Kalumburu in the past day or two that more people are coming forward and police are able to take complaints and lay charges. It is certainly a huge and difficult problem, but we would not even be aware of the extent of it or be able to tackle it had it not been for the decision made by the state government to put in place the multifunctional remote police facilities and to resource them. It is to the shame of the Howard government that it refused to even lift a finger to assist the state government. We now welcome its support, belated though it is, and we hope that through the assistance of the federal government we will be able to build more multifunctional remote police facilities. Again, it is the people of Western Australia who will run and staff these facilities, even though they are in very remote communities across the state.
I thank the member for her question and her keen interest in and support for so many remote Indigenous communities in the north of this state. I also thank her for her support for the Western Australian police who are working in those areas. I believe, again on the advice from the member for Kimberley and other members here, that our police at these multifunctional police facilities in remote areas are doing an outstanding job. They are building relationships with the people there and providing security that is very much needed. It is only this government that, following the Gordon inquiry, committed to actually dealing with abuse in Indigenous communities. A key element of that was to provide policing in communities that had never had proper policing facilities and to provide ongoing policing. As dire as some of the outcomes are, some very real and fantastic benefits are flowing to those communities. The people now have confidence that the police are there to protect and serve them, and through that confidence and the building of that relationship, people have come forward to make complaints about abuse and rape, and police have been able to take action. This is only because of the actions of the state government. Those actions were taken without any help from the federal Howard government, which was asked to assist us in what we knew would be a very difficult problem because of the evidence of abuse. The state government, unlike the previous government, said that it would not turn its face away from the problems in Indigenous communities. The government has put nine multifunctional remote police facilities - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. The DEPUTY SPEAKER : The member for Avon! Mr J.C. KOBELKE : Some 20 police officers are already stationed at these remote locations. There are six child protection workers, and support services are in place to try to help people in these situations. We have seen in Kalumburu in the past day or two that more people are coming forward and police are able to take complaints and lay charges. It is certainly a huge and difficult problem, but we would not even be aware of the extent of it or be able to tackle it had it not been for the decision made by the state government to put in place the multifunctional remote police facilities and to resource them. It is to the shame of the Howard government that it refused to even lift a finger to assist the state government. We now welcome its support, belated though it is, and we hope that through the assistance of the federal government we will be able to build more multifunctional remote police facilities. Again, it is the people of Western Australia who will run and staff these facilities, even though they are in very remote communities across the state.
Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. The DEPUTY SPEAKER : The member for Avon! Mr J.C. KOBELKE : Some 20 police officers are already stationed at these remote locations. There are six child protection workers, and support services are in place to try to help people in these situations. We have seen in Kalumburu in the past day or two that more people are coming forward and police are able to take complaints and lay charges. It is certainly a huge and difficult problem, but we would not even be aware of the extent of it or be able to tackle it had it not been for the decision made by the state government to put in place the multifunctional remote police facilities and to resource them. It is to the shame of the Howard government that it refused to even lift a finger to assist the state government. We now welcome its support, belated though it is, and we hope that through the assistance of the federal government we will be able to build more multifunctional remote police facilities. Again, it is the people of Western Australia who will run and staff these facilities, even though they are in very remote communities across the state.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER : The member for Avon! Mr J.C. KOBELKE : Some 20 police officers are already stationed at these remote locations. There are six child protection workers, and support services are in place to try to help people in these situations. We have seen in Kalumburu in the past day or two that more people are coming forward and police are able to take complaints and lay charges. It is certainly a huge and difficult problem, but we would not even be aware of the extent of it or be able to tackle it had it not been for the decision made by the state government to put in place the multifunctional remote police facilities and to resource them. It is to the shame of the Howard government that it refused to even lift a finger to assist the state government. We now welcome its support, belated though it is, and we hope that through the assistance of the federal government we will be able to build more multifunctional remote police facilities. Again, it is the people of Western Australia who will run and staff these facilities, even though they are in very remote communities across the state.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE : Some 20 police officers are already stationed at these remote locations. There are six child protection workers, and support services are in place to try to help people in these situations. We have seen in Kalumburu in the past day or two that more people are coming forward and police are able to take complaints and lay charges. It is certainly a huge and difficult problem, but we would not even be aware of the extent of it or be able to tackle it had it not been for the decision made by the state government to put in place the multifunctional remote police facilities and to resource them. It is to the shame of the Howard government that it refused to even lift a finger to assist the state government. We now welcome its support, belated though it is, and we hope that through the assistance of the federal government we will be able to build more multifunctional remote police facilities. Again, it is the people of Western Australia who will run and staff these facilities, even though they are in very remote communities across the state.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE replied: I thank the member for her question and her keen interest in and support for so many remote Indigenous communities in the north of this state. I also thank her for her support for the Western Australian police who are working in those areas. I believe, again on the advice from the member for Kimberley and other members here, that our police at these multifunctional police facilities in remote areas are doing an outstanding job. They are building relationships with the people there and providing security that is very much needed. It is only this government that, following the Gordon inquiry, committed to actually dealing with abuse in Indigenous communities. A key element of that was to provide policing in communities that had never had proper policing facilities and to provide ongoing policing. As dire as some of the outcomes are, some very real and fantastic benefits are flowing to those communities. The people now have confidence that the police are there to protect and serve them, and through that confidence and the building of that relationship, people have come forward to make complaints about abuse and rape, and police have been able to take action. This is only because of the actions of the state government. Those actions were taken without any help from the federal Howard government, which was asked to assist us in what we knew would be a very difficult problem because of the evidence of abuse. The state government, unlike the previous government, said that it would not turn its face away from the problems in Indigenous communities. The government has put nine multifunctional remote police facilities - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. The DEPUTY SPEAKER : The member for Avon! Mr J.C. KOBELKE : Some 20 police officers are already stationed at these remote locations. There are six child protection workers, and support services are in place to try to help people in these situations. We have seen in Kalumburu in the past day or two that more people are coming forward and police are able to take complaints and lay charges. It is certainly a huge and difficult problem, but we would not even be aware of the extent of it or be able to tackle it had it not been for the decision made by the state government to put in place the multifunctional remote police facilities and to resource them. It is to the shame of the Howard government that it refused to even lift a finger to assist the state government. We now welcome its support, belated though it is, and we hope that through the assistance of the federal government we will be able to build more multifunctional remote police facilities. Again, it is the people of Western Australia who will run and staff these facilities, even though they are in very remote communities across the state.
I thank the member for her question and her keen interest in and support for so many remote Indigenous communities in the north of this state. I also thank her for her support for the Western Australian police who are working in those areas. I believe, again on the advice from the member for Kimberley and other members here, that our police at these multifunctional police facilities in remote areas are doing an outstanding job. They are building relationships with the people there and providing security that is very much needed. It is only this government that, following the Gordon inquiry, committed to actually dealing with abuse in Indigenous communities. A key element of that was to provide policing in communities that had never had proper policing facilities and to provide ongoing policing. As dire as some of the outcomes are, some very real and fantastic benefits are flowing to those communities. The people now have confidence that the police are there to protect and serve them, and through that confidence and the building of that relationship, people have come forward to make complaints about abuse and rape, and police have been able to take action. This is only because of the actions of the state government. Those actions were taken without any help from the federal Howard government, which was asked to assist us in what we knew would be a very difficult problem because of the evidence of abuse. The state government, unlike the previous government, said that it would not turn its face away from the problems in Indigenous communities. The government has put nine multifunctional remote police facilities - Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. The DEPUTY SPEAKER : The member for Avon! Mr J.C. KOBELKE : Some 20 police officers are already stationed at these remote locations. There are six child protection workers, and support services are in place to try to help people in these situations. We have seen in Kalumburu in the past day or two that more people are coming forward and police are able to take complaints and lay charges. It is certainly a huge and difficult problem, but we would not even be aware of the extent of it or be able to tackle it had it not been for the decision made by the state government to put in place the multifunctional remote police facilities and to resource them. It is to the shame of the Howard government that it refused to even lift a finger to assist the state government. We now welcome its support, belated though it is, and we hope that through the assistance of the federal government we will be able to build more multifunctional remote police facilities. Again, it is the people of Western Australia who will run and staff these facilities, even though they are in very remote communities across the state.
Mr M.W. Trenorden interjected. The DEPUTY SPEAKER : The member for Avon! Mr J.C. KOBELKE : Some 20 police officers are already stationed at these remote locations. There are six child protection workers, and support services are in place to try to help people in these situations. We have seen in Kalumburu in the past day or two that more people are coming forward and police are able to take complaints and lay charges. It is certainly a huge and difficult problem, but we would not even be aware of the extent of it or be able to tackle it had it not been for the decision made by the state government to put in place the multifunctional remote police facilities and to resource them. It is to the shame of the Howard government that it refused to even lift a finger to assist the state government. We now welcome its support, belated though it is, and we hope that through the assistance of the federal government we will be able to build more multifunctional remote police facilities. Again, it is the people of Western Australia who will run and staff these facilities, even though they are in very remote communities across the state.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER : The member for Avon! Mr J.C. KOBELKE : Some 20 police officers are already stationed at these remote locations. There are six child protection workers, and support services are in place to try to help people in these situations. We have seen in Kalumburu in the past day or two that more people are coming forward and police are able to take complaints and lay charges. It is certainly a huge and difficult problem, but we would not even be aware of the extent of it or be able to tackle it had it not been for the decision made by the state government to put in place the multifunctional remote police facilities and to resource them. It is to the shame of the Howard government that it refused to even lift a finger to assist the state government. We now welcome its support, belated though it is, and we hope that through the assistance of the federal government we will be able to build more multifunctional remote police facilities. Again, it is the people of Western Australia who will run and staff these facilities, even though they are in very remote communities across the state.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE : Some 20 police officers are already stationed at these remote locations. There are six child protection workers, and support services are in place to try to help people in these situations. We have seen in Kalumburu in the past day or two that more people are coming forward and police are able to take complaints and lay charges. It is certainly a huge and difficult problem, but we would not even be aware of the extent of it or be able to tackle it had it not been for the decision made by the state government to put in place the multifunctional remote police facilities and to resource them. It is to the shame of the Howard government that it refused to even lift a finger to assist the state government. We now welcome its support, belated though it is, and we hope that through the assistance of the federal government we will be able to build more multifunctional remote police facilities. Again, it is the people of Western Australia who will run and staff these facilities, even though they are in very remote communities across the state.
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