❓ Opposition asks about Police Minister's commitment to provide police station staffing levels. Minister provides district-level data, refuses station-level data citing security concerns, accuses opposition of political interference.
AnsweredQoN 1121Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer the minister to her commitment on the Paul Murray radio program this morning to provide all the information on the authorised strength of Western Australian police stations requested by the Opposition both in a question on notice and in question time yesterday. (1) Does the minister stand by her commitment to Mr Murray this morning to be fully open and accountable? (2) If so, will the minister undertake to advise this House by the end of today’s sitting what percentage of all police stations in Western Australia - not districts - are operating below their authorised strength? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(2) I made a commitment to provide the figures today. The provision of these figures is not new; I have tabled these kinds of figures before. I said I would table all the statistics, district by district, of both the authorised and actual strengths. If the member checks Hansard, he will find that I have provided statistics on police numbers at districts on other occasions. I do not need to undertake to do that by the close of business today because I can do it right now. Mr M.J. Birney interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: That is the undertaking I gave. The authorised full-time equivalent strength for the metropolitan region is 2 162 and the actual strength is 2 141.13. The total authorised strength for the north eastern district is 720 and the actual strength is 682.08. The authorised strength in the southern region is 658 and the actual strength is 635.6. In the other areas of crime, traffic and operations support, professional standards and the like, the authorised strength is 1 405 and the actual strength is 1 510.08. Those figures amount to the total I gave yesterday; namely, the authorised strength of the Police Service in Western Australia of 4 945 and the actual strength of 4 968.89 - nearly 25 officers more. I will table not only that information but also, as part of it, the authorised and actual strengths for each regional office. The metropolitan area, for example, covers the south east metropolitan region, south metropolitan, north west metropolitan, east metropolitan, west metropolitan, central metropolitan and the like, formerly known by other names. East metropolitan, for example, was Midland Police Station, and Perth metropolitan was Central Police Station. In accordance with the commitment I made, I am more than happy to table those figures and the regional figures. As I said, I have tabled similar figures in the past. If the member for Kalgoorlie wants me to alert criminals to the actual number of policemen at individual police stations, he has asked me to do something that the member for Darling Range has never done and that no other Minister for Police or Commissioner of Police has ever done. No-one has ever revealed how many officers are at individual stations or units on a daily basis because that would give criminals a head start. In this day and age, when national security, terrorism and the like are significant issues, why on earth would we want to put the Commissioner of Police in the position of having to reveal where all his officers are located? Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands interjected. I do not supervise police activities. The member has shown her ignorance. The Government has a responsibility to fund the Police Service so that it can recruit sufficient police officers. We have provided sufficient officers for the Western Australia Police Service to operate above its authorised strength. The deployment of police officers - Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands has interjected on me three times. The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
(1) Does the minister stand by her commitment to Mr Murray this morning to be fully open and accountable? (2) If so, will the minister undertake to advise this House by the end of today’s sitting what percentage of all police stations in Western Australia - not districts - are operating below their authorised strength? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(2) I made a commitment to provide the figures today. The provision of these figures is not new; I have tabled these kinds of figures before. I said I would table all the statistics, district by district, of both the authorised and actual strengths. If the member checks Hansard, he will find that I have provided statistics on police numbers at districts on other occasions. I do not need to undertake to do that by the close of business today because I can do it right now. Mr M.J. Birney interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: That is the undertaking I gave. The authorised full-time equivalent strength for the metropolitan region is 2 162 and the actual strength is 2 141.13. The total authorised strength for the north eastern district is 720 and the actual strength is 682.08. The authorised strength in the southern region is 658 and the actual strength is 635.6. In the other areas of crime, traffic and operations support, professional standards and the like, the authorised strength is 1 405 and the actual strength is 1 510.08. Those figures amount to the total I gave yesterday; namely, the authorised strength of the Police Service in Western Australia of 4 945 and the actual strength of 4 968.89 - nearly 25 officers more. I will table not only that information but also, as part of it, the authorised and actual strengths for each regional office. The metropolitan area, for example, covers the south east metropolitan region, south metropolitan, north west metropolitan, east metropolitan, west metropolitan, central metropolitan and the like, formerly known by other names. East metropolitan, for example, was Midland Police Station, and Perth metropolitan was Central Police Station. In accordance with the commitment I made, I am more than happy to table those figures and the regional figures. As I said, I have tabled similar figures in the past. If the member for Kalgoorlie wants me to alert criminals to the actual number of policemen at individual police stations, he has asked me to do something that the member for Darling Range has never done and that no other Minister for Police or Commissioner of Police has ever done. No-one has ever revealed how many officers are at individual stations or units on a daily basis because that would give criminals a head start. In this day and age, when national security, terrorism and the like are significant issues, why on earth would we want to put the Commissioner of Police in the position of having to reveal where all his officers are located? Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands interjected. I do not supervise police activities. The member has shown her ignorance. The Government has a responsibility to fund the Police Service so that it can recruit sufficient police officers. We have provided sufficient officers for the Western Australia Police Service to operate above its authorised strength. The deployment of police officers - Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands has interjected on me three times. The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
(2) If so, will the minister undertake to advise this House by the end of today’s sitting what percentage of all police stations in Western Australia - not districts - are operating below their authorised strength? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(2) I made a commitment to provide the figures today. The provision of these figures is not new; I have tabled these kinds of figures before. I said I would table all the statistics, district by district, of both the authorised and actual strengths. If the member checks Hansard, he will find that I have provided statistics on police numbers at districts on other occasions. I do not need to undertake to do that by the close of business today because I can do it right now. Mr M.J. Birney interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: That is the undertaking I gave. The authorised full-time equivalent strength for the metropolitan region is 2 162 and the actual strength is 2 141.13. The total authorised strength for the north eastern district is 720 and the actual strength is 682.08. The authorised strength in the southern region is 658 and the actual strength is 635.6. In the other areas of crime, traffic and operations support, professional standards and the like, the authorised strength is 1 405 and the actual strength is 1 510.08. Those figures amount to the total I gave yesterday; namely, the authorised strength of the Police Service in Western Australia of 4 945 and the actual strength of 4 968.89 - nearly 25 officers more. I will table not only that information but also, as part of it, the authorised and actual strengths for each regional office. The metropolitan area, for example, covers the south east metropolitan region, south metropolitan, north west metropolitan, east metropolitan, west metropolitan, central metropolitan and the like, formerly known by other names. East metropolitan, for example, was Midland Police Station, and Perth metropolitan was Central Police Station. In accordance with the commitment I made, I am more than happy to table those figures and the regional figures. As I said, I have tabled similar figures in the past. If the member for Kalgoorlie wants me to alert criminals to the actual number of policemen at individual police stations, he has asked me to do something that the member for Darling Range has never done and that no other Minister for Police or Commissioner of Police has ever done. No-one has ever revealed how many officers are at individual stations or units on a daily basis because that would give criminals a head start. In this day and age, when national security, terrorism and the like are significant issues, why on earth would we want to put the Commissioner of Police in the position of having to reveal where all his officers are located? Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands interjected. I do not supervise police activities. The member has shown her ignorance. The Government has a responsibility to fund the Police Service so that it can recruit sufficient police officers. We have provided sufficient officers for the Western Australia Police Service to operate above its authorised strength. The deployment of police officers - Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands has interjected on me three times. The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(2) I made a commitment to provide the figures today. The provision of these figures is not new; I have tabled these kinds of figures before. I said I would table all the statistics, district by district, of both the authorised and actual strengths. If the member checks Hansard, he will find that I have provided statistics on police numbers at districts on other occasions. I do not need to undertake to do that by the close of business today because I can do it right now. Mr M.J. Birney interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: That is the undertaking I gave. The authorised full-time equivalent strength for the metropolitan region is 2 162 and the actual strength is 2 141.13. The total authorised strength for the north eastern district is 720 and the actual strength is 682.08. The authorised strength in the southern region is 658 and the actual strength is 635.6. In the other areas of crime, traffic and operations support, professional standards and the like, the authorised strength is 1 405 and the actual strength is 1 510.08. Those figures amount to the total I gave yesterday; namely, the authorised strength of the Police Service in Western Australia of 4 945 and the actual strength of 4 968.89 - nearly 25 officers more. I will table not only that information but also, as part of it, the authorised and actual strengths for each regional office. The metropolitan area, for example, covers the south east metropolitan region, south metropolitan, north west metropolitan, east metropolitan, west metropolitan, central metropolitan and the like, formerly known by other names. East metropolitan, for example, was Midland Police Station, and Perth metropolitan was Central Police Station. In accordance with the commitment I made, I am more than happy to table those figures and the regional figures. As I said, I have tabled similar figures in the past. If the member for Kalgoorlie wants me to alert criminals to the actual number of policemen at individual police stations, he has asked me to do something that the member for Darling Range has never done and that no other Minister for Police or Commissioner of Police has ever done. No-one has ever revealed how many officers are at individual stations or units on a daily basis because that would give criminals a head start. In this day and age, when national security, terrorism and the like are significant issues, why on earth would we want to put the Commissioner of Police in the position of having to reveal where all his officers are located? Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands interjected. I do not supervise police activities. The member has shown her ignorance. The Government has a responsibility to fund the Police Service so that it can recruit sufficient police officers. We have provided sufficient officers for the Western Australia Police Service to operate above its authorised strength. The deployment of police officers - Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands has interjected on me three times. The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
(1)-(2) I made a commitment to provide the figures today. The provision of these figures is not new; I have tabled these kinds of figures before. I said I would table all the statistics, district by district, of both the authorised and actual strengths. If the member checks Hansard, he will find that I have provided statistics on police numbers at districts on other occasions. I do not need to undertake to do that by the close of business today because I can do it right now. Mr M.J. Birney interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: That is the undertaking I gave. The authorised full-time equivalent strength for the metropolitan region is 2 162 and the actual strength is 2 141.13. The total authorised strength for the north eastern district is 720 and the actual strength is 682.08. The authorised strength in the southern region is 658 and the actual strength is 635.6. In the other areas of crime, traffic and operations support, professional standards and the like, the authorised strength is 1 405 and the actual strength is 1 510.08. Those figures amount to the total I gave yesterday; namely, the authorised strength of the Police Service in Western Australia of 4 945 and the actual strength of 4 968.89 - nearly 25 officers more. I will table not only that information but also, as part of it, the authorised and actual strengths for each regional office. The metropolitan area, for example, covers the south east metropolitan region, south metropolitan, north west metropolitan, east metropolitan, west metropolitan, central metropolitan and the like, formerly known by other names. East metropolitan, for example, was Midland Police Station, and Perth metropolitan was Central Police Station. In accordance with the commitment I made, I am more than happy to table those figures and the regional figures. As I said, I have tabled similar figures in the past. If the member for Kalgoorlie wants me to alert criminals to the actual number of policemen at individual police stations, he has asked me to do something that the member for Darling Range has never done and that no other Minister for Police or Commissioner of Police has ever done. No-one has ever revealed how many officers are at individual stations or units on a daily basis because that would give criminals a head start. In this day and age, when national security, terrorism and the like are significant issues, why on earth would we want to put the Commissioner of Police in the position of having to reveal where all his officers are located? Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands interjected. I do not supervise police activities. The member has shown her ignorance. The Government has a responsibility to fund the Police Service so that it can recruit sufficient police officers. We have provided sufficient officers for the Western Australia Police Service to operate above its authorised strength. The deployment of police officers - Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands has interjected on me three times. The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
Mr M.J. Birney interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: That is the undertaking I gave. The authorised full-time equivalent strength for the metropolitan region is 2 162 and the actual strength is 2 141.13. The total authorised strength for the north eastern district is 720 and the actual strength is 682.08. The authorised strength in the southern region is 658 and the actual strength is 635.6. In the other areas of crime, traffic and operations support, professional standards and the like, the authorised strength is 1 405 and the actual strength is 1 510.08. Those figures amount to the total I gave yesterday; namely, the authorised strength of the Police Service in Western Australia of 4 945 and the actual strength of 4 968.89 - nearly 25 officers more. I will table not only that information but also, as part of it, the authorised and actual strengths for each regional office. The metropolitan area, for example, covers the south east metropolitan region, south metropolitan, north west metropolitan, east metropolitan, west metropolitan, central metropolitan and the like, formerly known by other names. East metropolitan, for example, was Midland Police Station, and Perth metropolitan was Central Police Station. In accordance with the commitment I made, I am more than happy to table those figures and the regional figures. As I said, I have tabled similar figures in the past. If the member for Kalgoorlie wants me to alert criminals to the actual number of policemen at individual police stations, he has asked me to do something that the member for Darling Range has never done and that no other Minister for Police or Commissioner of Police has ever done. No-one has ever revealed how many officers are at individual stations or units on a daily basis because that would give criminals a head start. In this day and age, when national security, terrorism and the like are significant issues, why on earth would we want to put the Commissioner of Police in the position of having to reveal where all his officers are located? Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands interjected. I do not supervise police activities. The member has shown her ignorance. The Government has a responsibility to fund the Police Service so that it can recruit sufficient police officers. We have provided sufficient officers for the Western Australia Police Service to operate above its authorised strength. The deployment of police officers - Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands has interjected on me three times. The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: That is the undertaking I gave. The authorised full-time equivalent strength for the metropolitan region is 2 162 and the actual strength is 2 141.13. The total authorised strength for the north eastern district is 720 and the actual strength is 682.08. The authorised strength in the southern region is 658 and the actual strength is 635.6. In the other areas of crime, traffic and operations support, professional standards and the like, the authorised strength is 1 405 and the actual strength is 1 510.08. Those figures amount to the total I gave yesterday; namely, the authorised strength of the Police Service in Western Australia of 4 945 and the actual strength of 4 968.89 - nearly 25 officers more. I will table not only that information but also, as part of it, the authorised and actual strengths for each regional office. The metropolitan area, for example, covers the south east metropolitan region, south metropolitan, north west metropolitan, east metropolitan, west metropolitan, central metropolitan and the like, formerly known by other names. East metropolitan, for example, was Midland Police Station, and Perth metropolitan was Central Police Station. In accordance with the commitment I made, I am more than happy to table those figures and the regional figures. As I said, I have tabled similar figures in the past. If the member for Kalgoorlie wants me to alert criminals to the actual number of policemen at individual police stations, he has asked me to do something that the member for Darling Range has never done and that no other Minister for Police or Commissioner of Police has ever done. No-one has ever revealed how many officers are at individual stations or units on a daily basis because that would give criminals a head start. In this day and age, when national security, terrorism and the like are significant issues, why on earth would we want to put the Commissioner of Police in the position of having to reveal where all his officers are located? Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands interjected. I do not supervise police activities. The member has shown her ignorance. The Government has a responsibility to fund the Police Service so that it can recruit sufficient police officers. We have provided sufficient officers for the Western Australia Police Service to operate above its authorised strength. The deployment of police officers - Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands has interjected on me three times. The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
The authorised full-time equivalent strength for the metropolitan region is 2 162 and the actual strength is 2 141.13. The total authorised strength for the north eastern district is 720 and the actual strength is 682.08. The authorised strength in the southern region is 658 and the actual strength is 635.6. In the other areas of crime, traffic and operations support, professional standards and the like, the authorised strength is 1 405 and the actual strength is 1 510.08. Those figures amount to the total I gave yesterday; namely, the authorised strength of the Police Service in Western Australia of 4 945 and the actual strength of 4 968.89 - nearly 25 officers more. I will table not only that information but also, as part of it, the authorised and actual strengths for each regional office. The metropolitan area, for example, covers the south east metropolitan region, south metropolitan, north west metropolitan, east metropolitan, west metropolitan, central metropolitan and the like, formerly known by other names. East metropolitan, for example, was Midland Police Station, and Perth metropolitan was Central Police Station. In accordance with the commitment I made, I am more than happy to table those figures and the regional figures. As I said, I have tabled similar figures in the past. If the member for Kalgoorlie wants me to alert criminals to the actual number of policemen at individual police stations, he has asked me to do something that the member for Darling Range has never done and that no other Minister for Police or Commissioner of Police has ever done. No-one has ever revealed how many officers are at individual stations or units on a daily basis because that would give criminals a head start. In this day and age, when national security, terrorism and the like are significant issues, why on earth would we want to put the Commissioner of Police in the position of having to reveal where all his officers are located? Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands interjected. I do not supervise police activities. The member has shown her ignorance. The Government has a responsibility to fund the Police Service so that it can recruit sufficient police officers. We have provided sufficient officers for the Western Australia Police Service to operate above its authorised strength. The deployment of police officers - Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands has interjected on me three times. The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
I will table not only that information but also, as part of it, the authorised and actual strengths for each regional office. The metropolitan area, for example, covers the south east metropolitan region, south metropolitan, north west metropolitan, east metropolitan, west metropolitan, central metropolitan and the like, formerly known by other names. East metropolitan, for example, was Midland Police Station, and Perth metropolitan was Central Police Station. In accordance with the commitment I made, I am more than happy to table those figures and the regional figures. As I said, I have tabled similar figures in the past. If the member for Kalgoorlie wants me to alert criminals to the actual number of policemen at individual police stations, he has asked me to do something that the member for Darling Range has never done and that no other Minister for Police or Commissioner of Police has ever done. No-one has ever revealed how many officers are at individual stations or units on a daily basis because that would give criminals a head start. In this day and age, when national security, terrorism and the like are significant issues, why on earth would we want to put the Commissioner of Police in the position of having to reveal where all his officers are located? Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands interjected. I do not supervise police activities. The member has shown her ignorance. The Government has a responsibility to fund the Police Service so that it can recruit sufficient police officers. We have provided sufficient officers for the Western Australia Police Service to operate above its authorised strength. The deployment of police officers - Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands has interjected on me three times. The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
If the member for Kalgoorlie wants me to alert criminals to the actual number of policemen at individual police stations, he has asked me to do something that the member for Darling Range has never done and that no other Minister for Police or Commissioner of Police has ever done. No-one has ever revealed how many officers are at individual stations or units on a daily basis because that would give criminals a head start. In this day and age, when national security, terrorism and the like are significant issues, why on earth would we want to put the Commissioner of Police in the position of having to reveal where all his officers are located? Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands interjected. I do not supervise police activities. The member has shown her ignorance. The Government has a responsibility to fund the Police Service so that it can recruit sufficient police officers. We have provided sufficient officers for the Western Australia Police Service to operate above its authorised strength. The deployment of police officers - Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands has interjected on me three times. The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands interjected. I do not supervise police activities. The member has shown her ignorance. The Government has a responsibility to fund the Police Service so that it can recruit sufficient police officers. We have provided sufficient officers for the Western Australia Police Service to operate above its authorised strength. The deployment of police officers - Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands has interjected on me three times. The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands interjected. I do not supervise police activities. The member has shown her ignorance. The Government has a responsibility to fund the Police Service so that it can recruit sufficient police officers. We have provided sufficient officers for the Western Australia Police Service to operate above its authorised strength. The deployment of police officers - Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands has interjected on me three times. The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands has interjected on me three times. The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands has interjected on me three times. The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
[See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
(1) Does the minister stand by her commitment to Mr Murray this morning to be fully open and accountable? (2) If so, will the minister undertake to advise this House by the end of today’s sitting what percentage of all police stations in Western Australia - not districts - are operating below their authorised strength? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(2) I made a commitment to provide the figures today. The provision of these figures is not new; I have tabled these kinds of figures before. I said I would table all the statistics, district by district, of both the authorised and actual strengths. If the member checks Hansard, he will find that I have provided statistics on police numbers at districts on other occasions. I do not need to undertake to do that by the close of business today because I can do it right now. Mr M.J. Birney interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: That is the undertaking I gave. The authorised full-time equivalent strength for the metropolitan region is 2 162 and the actual strength is 2 141.13. The total authorised strength for the north eastern district is 720 and the actual strength is 682.08. The authorised strength in the southern region is 658 and the actual strength is 635.6. In the other areas of crime, traffic and operations support, professional standards and the like, the authorised strength is 1 405 and the actual strength is 1 510.08. Those figures amount to the total I gave yesterday; namely, the authorised strength of the Police Service in Western Australia of 4 945 and the actual strength of 4 968.89 - nearly 25 officers more. I will table not only that information but also, as part of it, the authorised and actual strengths for each regional office. The metropolitan area, for example, covers the south east metropolitan region, south metropolitan, north west metropolitan, east metropolitan, west metropolitan, central metropolitan and the like, formerly known by other names. East metropolitan, for example, was Midland Police Station, and Perth metropolitan was Central Police Station. In accordance with the commitment I made, I am more than happy to table those figures and the regional figures. As I said, I have tabled similar figures in the past. If the member for Kalgoorlie wants me to alert criminals to the actual number of policemen at individual police stations, he has asked me to do something that the member for Darling Range has never done and that no other Minister for Police or Commissioner of Police has ever done. No-one has ever revealed how many officers are at individual stations or units on a daily basis because that would give criminals a head start. In this day and age, when national security, terrorism and the like are significant issues, why on earth would we want to put the Commissioner of Police in the position of having to reveal where all his officers are located? Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands interjected. I do not supervise police activities. The member has shown her ignorance. The Government has a responsibility to fund the Police Service so that it can recruit sufficient police officers. We have provided sufficient officers for the Western Australia Police Service to operate above its authorised strength. The deployment of police officers - Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands has interjected on me three times. The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
(2) If so, will the minister undertake to advise this House by the end of today’s sitting what percentage of all police stations in Western Australia - not districts - are operating below their authorised strength? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(2) I made a commitment to provide the figures today. The provision of these figures is not new; I have tabled these kinds of figures before. I said I would table all the statistics, district by district, of both the authorised and actual strengths. If the member checks Hansard, he will find that I have provided statistics on police numbers at districts on other occasions. I do not need to undertake to do that by the close of business today because I can do it right now. Mr M.J. Birney interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: That is the undertaking I gave. The authorised full-time equivalent strength for the metropolitan region is 2 162 and the actual strength is 2 141.13. The total authorised strength for the north eastern district is 720 and the actual strength is 682.08. The authorised strength in the southern region is 658 and the actual strength is 635.6. In the other areas of crime, traffic and operations support, professional standards and the like, the authorised strength is 1 405 and the actual strength is 1 510.08. Those figures amount to the total I gave yesterday; namely, the authorised strength of the Police Service in Western Australia of 4 945 and the actual strength of 4 968.89 - nearly 25 officers more. I will table not only that information but also, as part of it, the authorised and actual strengths for each regional office. The metropolitan area, for example, covers the south east metropolitan region, south metropolitan, north west metropolitan, east metropolitan, west metropolitan, central metropolitan and the like, formerly known by other names. East metropolitan, for example, was Midland Police Station, and Perth metropolitan was Central Police Station. In accordance with the commitment I made, I am more than happy to table those figures and the regional figures. As I said, I have tabled similar figures in the past. If the member for Kalgoorlie wants me to alert criminals to the actual number of policemen at individual police stations, he has asked me to do something that the member for Darling Range has never done and that no other Minister for Police or Commissioner of Police has ever done. No-one has ever revealed how many officers are at individual stations or units on a daily basis because that would give criminals a head start. In this day and age, when national security, terrorism and the like are significant issues, why on earth would we want to put the Commissioner of Police in the position of having to reveal where all his officers are located? Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands interjected. I do not supervise police activities. The member has shown her ignorance. The Government has a responsibility to fund the Police Service so that it can recruit sufficient police officers. We have provided sufficient officers for the Western Australia Police Service to operate above its authorised strength. The deployment of police officers - Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands has interjected on me three times. The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(2) I made a commitment to provide the figures today. The provision of these figures is not new; I have tabled these kinds of figures before. I said I would table all the statistics, district by district, of both the authorised and actual strengths. If the member checks Hansard, he will find that I have provided statistics on police numbers at districts on other occasions. I do not need to undertake to do that by the close of business today because I can do it right now. Mr M.J. Birney interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: That is the undertaking I gave. The authorised full-time equivalent strength for the metropolitan region is 2 162 and the actual strength is 2 141.13. The total authorised strength for the north eastern district is 720 and the actual strength is 682.08. The authorised strength in the southern region is 658 and the actual strength is 635.6. In the other areas of crime, traffic and operations support, professional standards and the like, the authorised strength is 1 405 and the actual strength is 1 510.08. Those figures amount to the total I gave yesterday; namely, the authorised strength of the Police Service in Western Australia of 4 945 and the actual strength of 4 968.89 - nearly 25 officers more. I will table not only that information but also, as part of it, the authorised and actual strengths for each regional office. The metropolitan area, for example, covers the south east metropolitan region, south metropolitan, north west metropolitan, east metropolitan, west metropolitan, central metropolitan and the like, formerly known by other names. East metropolitan, for example, was Midland Police Station, and Perth metropolitan was Central Police Station. In accordance with the commitment I made, I am more than happy to table those figures and the regional figures. As I said, I have tabled similar figures in the past. If the member for Kalgoorlie wants me to alert criminals to the actual number of policemen at individual police stations, he has asked me to do something that the member for Darling Range has never done and that no other Minister for Police or Commissioner of Police has ever done. No-one has ever revealed how many officers are at individual stations or units on a daily basis because that would give criminals a head start. In this day and age, when national security, terrorism and the like are significant issues, why on earth would we want to put the Commissioner of Police in the position of having to reveal where all his officers are located? Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands interjected. I do not supervise police activities. The member has shown her ignorance. The Government has a responsibility to fund the Police Service so that it can recruit sufficient police officers. We have provided sufficient officers for the Western Australia Police Service to operate above its authorised strength. The deployment of police officers - Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands has interjected on me three times. The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
(1)-(2) I made a commitment to provide the figures today. The provision of these figures is not new; I have tabled these kinds of figures before. I said I would table all the statistics, district by district, of both the authorised and actual strengths. If the member checks Hansard, he will find that I have provided statistics on police numbers at districts on other occasions. I do not need to undertake to do that by the close of business today because I can do it right now. Mr M.J. Birney interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: That is the undertaking I gave. The authorised full-time equivalent strength for the metropolitan region is 2 162 and the actual strength is 2 141.13. The total authorised strength for the north eastern district is 720 and the actual strength is 682.08. The authorised strength in the southern region is 658 and the actual strength is 635.6. In the other areas of crime, traffic and operations support, professional standards and the like, the authorised strength is 1 405 and the actual strength is 1 510.08. Those figures amount to the total I gave yesterday; namely, the authorised strength of the Police Service in Western Australia of 4 945 and the actual strength of 4 968.89 - nearly 25 officers more. I will table not only that information but also, as part of it, the authorised and actual strengths for each regional office. The metropolitan area, for example, covers the south east metropolitan region, south metropolitan, north west metropolitan, east metropolitan, west metropolitan, central metropolitan and the like, formerly known by other names. East metropolitan, for example, was Midland Police Station, and Perth metropolitan was Central Police Station. In accordance with the commitment I made, I am more than happy to table those figures and the regional figures. As I said, I have tabled similar figures in the past. If the member for Kalgoorlie wants me to alert criminals to the actual number of policemen at individual police stations, he has asked me to do something that the member for Darling Range has never done and that no other Minister for Police or Commissioner of Police has ever done. No-one has ever revealed how many officers are at individual stations or units on a daily basis because that would give criminals a head start. In this day and age, when national security, terrorism and the like are significant issues, why on earth would we want to put the Commissioner of Police in the position of having to reveal where all his officers are located? Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands interjected. I do not supervise police activities. The member has shown her ignorance. The Government has a responsibility to fund the Police Service so that it can recruit sufficient police officers. We have provided sufficient officers for the Western Australia Police Service to operate above its authorised strength. The deployment of police officers - Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands has interjected on me three times. The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
Mr M.J. Birney interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: That is the undertaking I gave. The authorised full-time equivalent strength for the metropolitan region is 2 162 and the actual strength is 2 141.13. The total authorised strength for the north eastern district is 720 and the actual strength is 682.08. The authorised strength in the southern region is 658 and the actual strength is 635.6. In the other areas of crime, traffic and operations support, professional standards and the like, the authorised strength is 1 405 and the actual strength is 1 510.08. Those figures amount to the total I gave yesterday; namely, the authorised strength of the Police Service in Western Australia of 4 945 and the actual strength of 4 968.89 - nearly 25 officers more. I will table not only that information but also, as part of it, the authorised and actual strengths for each regional office. The metropolitan area, for example, covers the south east metropolitan region, south metropolitan, north west metropolitan, east metropolitan, west metropolitan, central metropolitan and the like, formerly known by other names. East metropolitan, for example, was Midland Police Station, and Perth metropolitan was Central Police Station. In accordance with the commitment I made, I am more than happy to table those figures and the regional figures. As I said, I have tabled similar figures in the past. If the member for Kalgoorlie wants me to alert criminals to the actual number of policemen at individual police stations, he has asked me to do something that the member for Darling Range has never done and that no other Minister for Police or Commissioner of Police has ever done. No-one has ever revealed how many officers are at individual stations or units on a daily basis because that would give criminals a head start. In this day and age, when national security, terrorism and the like are significant issues, why on earth would we want to put the Commissioner of Police in the position of having to reveal where all his officers are located? Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands interjected. I do not supervise police activities. The member has shown her ignorance. The Government has a responsibility to fund the Police Service so that it can recruit sufficient police officers. We have provided sufficient officers for the Western Australia Police Service to operate above its authorised strength. The deployment of police officers - Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands has interjected on me three times. The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: That is the undertaking I gave. The authorised full-time equivalent strength for the metropolitan region is 2 162 and the actual strength is 2 141.13. The total authorised strength for the north eastern district is 720 and the actual strength is 682.08. The authorised strength in the southern region is 658 and the actual strength is 635.6. In the other areas of crime, traffic and operations support, professional standards and the like, the authorised strength is 1 405 and the actual strength is 1 510.08. Those figures amount to the total I gave yesterday; namely, the authorised strength of the Police Service in Western Australia of 4 945 and the actual strength of 4 968.89 - nearly 25 officers more. I will table not only that information but also, as part of it, the authorised and actual strengths for each regional office. The metropolitan area, for example, covers the south east metropolitan region, south metropolitan, north west metropolitan, east metropolitan, west metropolitan, central metropolitan and the like, formerly known by other names. East metropolitan, for example, was Midland Police Station, and Perth metropolitan was Central Police Station. In accordance with the commitment I made, I am more than happy to table those figures and the regional figures. As I said, I have tabled similar figures in the past. If the member for Kalgoorlie wants me to alert criminals to the actual number of policemen at individual police stations, he has asked me to do something that the member for Darling Range has never done and that no other Minister for Police or Commissioner of Police has ever done. No-one has ever revealed how many officers are at individual stations or units on a daily basis because that would give criminals a head start. In this day and age, when national security, terrorism and the like are significant issues, why on earth would we want to put the Commissioner of Police in the position of having to reveal where all his officers are located? Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands interjected. I do not supervise police activities. The member has shown her ignorance. The Government has a responsibility to fund the Police Service so that it can recruit sufficient police officers. We have provided sufficient officers for the Western Australia Police Service to operate above its authorised strength. The deployment of police officers - Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands has interjected on me three times. The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
The authorised full-time equivalent strength for the metropolitan region is 2 162 and the actual strength is 2 141.13. The total authorised strength for the north eastern district is 720 and the actual strength is 682.08. The authorised strength in the southern region is 658 and the actual strength is 635.6. In the other areas of crime, traffic and operations support, professional standards and the like, the authorised strength is 1 405 and the actual strength is 1 510.08. Those figures amount to the total I gave yesterday; namely, the authorised strength of the Police Service in Western Australia of 4 945 and the actual strength of 4 968.89 - nearly 25 officers more. I will table not only that information but also, as part of it, the authorised and actual strengths for each regional office. The metropolitan area, for example, covers the south east metropolitan region, south metropolitan, north west metropolitan, east metropolitan, west metropolitan, central metropolitan and the like, formerly known by other names. East metropolitan, for example, was Midland Police Station, and Perth metropolitan was Central Police Station. In accordance with the commitment I made, I am more than happy to table those figures and the regional figures. As I said, I have tabled similar figures in the past. If the member for Kalgoorlie wants me to alert criminals to the actual number of policemen at individual police stations, he has asked me to do something that the member for Darling Range has never done and that no other Minister for Police or Commissioner of Police has ever done. No-one has ever revealed how many officers are at individual stations or units on a daily basis because that would give criminals a head start. In this day and age, when national security, terrorism and the like are significant issues, why on earth would we want to put the Commissioner of Police in the position of having to reveal where all his officers are located? Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands interjected. I do not supervise police activities. The member has shown her ignorance. The Government has a responsibility to fund the Police Service so that it can recruit sufficient police officers. We have provided sufficient officers for the Western Australia Police Service to operate above its authorised strength. The deployment of police officers - Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands has interjected on me three times. The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
I will table not only that information but also, as part of it, the authorised and actual strengths for each regional office. The metropolitan area, for example, covers the south east metropolitan region, south metropolitan, north west metropolitan, east metropolitan, west metropolitan, central metropolitan and the like, formerly known by other names. East metropolitan, for example, was Midland Police Station, and Perth metropolitan was Central Police Station. In accordance with the commitment I made, I am more than happy to table those figures and the regional figures. As I said, I have tabled similar figures in the past. If the member for Kalgoorlie wants me to alert criminals to the actual number of policemen at individual police stations, he has asked me to do something that the member for Darling Range has never done and that no other Minister for Police or Commissioner of Police has ever done. No-one has ever revealed how many officers are at individual stations or units on a daily basis because that would give criminals a head start. In this day and age, when national security, terrorism and the like are significant issues, why on earth would we want to put the Commissioner of Police in the position of having to reveal where all his officers are located? Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands interjected. I do not supervise police activities. The member has shown her ignorance. The Government has a responsibility to fund the Police Service so that it can recruit sufficient police officers. We have provided sufficient officers for the Western Australia Police Service to operate above its authorised strength. The deployment of police officers - Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands has interjected on me three times. The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
If the member for Kalgoorlie wants me to alert criminals to the actual number of policemen at individual police stations, he has asked me to do something that the member for Darling Range has never done and that no other Minister for Police or Commissioner of Police has ever done. No-one has ever revealed how many officers are at individual stations or units on a daily basis because that would give criminals a head start. In this day and age, when national security, terrorism and the like are significant issues, why on earth would we want to put the Commissioner of Police in the position of having to reveal where all his officers are located? Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands interjected. I do not supervise police activities. The member has shown her ignorance. The Government has a responsibility to fund the Police Service so that it can recruit sufficient police officers. We have provided sufficient officers for the Western Australia Police Service to operate above its authorised strength. The deployment of police officers - Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands has interjected on me three times. The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands interjected. I do not supervise police activities. The member has shown her ignorance. The Government has a responsibility to fund the Police Service so that it can recruit sufficient police officers. We have provided sufficient officers for the Western Australia Police Service to operate above its authorised strength. The deployment of police officers - Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands has interjected on me three times. The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands interjected. I do not supervise police activities. The member has shown her ignorance. The Government has a responsibility to fund the Police Service so that it can recruit sufficient police officers. We have provided sufficient officers for the Western Australia Police Service to operate above its authorised strength. The deployment of police officers - Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands has interjected on me three times. The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
Ms S.E. Walker interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands has interjected on me three times. The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Nedlands has interjected on me three times. The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
The deployment of police officers is a matter for the Commissioner of Police. I can only deduce from the member for Nedlands’ ignorant interjection, and from the kind of interjections that have come from the member for Kalgoorlie, that they would like me to politically interfere and tell the Commissioner of Police to take officers away from investigating crimes that involve Asian crime gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and other areas and place them at individual police stations. No Government has ever instructed the Commissioner of Police to do that and no Government ever would. It is absolutely contrary to the Westminster system of government. I table the statistics. [See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
[See paper No 1527.] The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
The SPEAKER: I call the members for Peel and Nedlands to order.
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