❓ Mr. Katsambanis questions the Premier on the urgency of recruiting additional police officers given the increased responsibilities due to COVID-19. The Premier responds by outlining recent and planned police recruitment and urges bipartisan support for COVID-19 related legislation.
AnsweredQoN 218Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS —
POLICE
218. Mr P.A. KATSAMBANIS to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. Why
is the Premier not recruiting those additional police officers now, given the additional responsibilities that our police now
have to undertake, including tracking people in self-isolation, p olicing
the regional travel bans and the threat that our police officers themselves
have of either becoming sick or having to self-isolate, which takes officers
off the front line?
POLICE
218. Mr P.A. KATSAMBANIS to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. Why
is the Premier not recruiting those additional police officers now, given the additional responsibilities that our police now
have to undertake, including tracking people in self-isolation, p olicing
the regional travel bans and the threat that our police officers themselves
have of either becoming sick or having to self-isolate, which takes officers
off the front line?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
Shortly, 107 police officers will graduate, or have graduated, from the police academy so they will be heading toward the front
line very shortly. The other day we announced a squad of 200 police officers, which is very much directed towards
COVID-19-related activities, and we will recruit more police officers .
When those details are finalised, no doubt we will make announcements in regard
to that. The member raised legislation going
through this Parliament, which is very important to deal with the issues that
the police will need to enforce. The
legislation that we want to get through Parliament this week deals with fines,
tracking and the protection of police officers against people who commit
offences and claim they are COVID-19 positive and therefore make a police
officer have to self-isolate. All I would say to the Liberal Party and the
Nationals WA is that we would like their help to get all that legislation
through this Parliament and, indeed, the other COVID-19-related legislation
this week.
Mr D.C. Nalder interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Bateman, this has nothing to do with you.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I urge the
Liberal and National Parties to pull Mr Goiran —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, I am on
my feet. I call the members for Dawesville, Bateman and Darling Range. I do not want to call anyone. This is a really serious
issue. We did not call anyone yesterday and now today we have four.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I call on both
major opposition parties —
Mr D.C. Nalder interjected.
The SPEAKER : I call the member for Bateman for the
second time.
Mr
M. McGOWAN : I call on both major
opposition parties to ensure that Mr Goiran and Mr Aldridge in the u pper
house do not delay important legislation that is designed to deal with the
COVID-19 problem in our state. That is a problem that the opposition, and only
the opposition, can solve.
The SPEAKER : That is the end
of question time.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : I call the member for
Bateman to order for the third time. I am on my feet, Leader of the Opposition and member for Dawesville. I did not hear anything from over there. I could not
because it was drowned out from this side. I think the Minister for Police said
something so I call her to order.
Mrs M.H. Roberts : You're
a cruel man.
The SPEAKER : I know.
Shortly, 107 police officers will graduate, or have graduated, from the police academy so they will be heading toward the front
line very shortly. The other day we announced a squad of 200 police officers, which is very much directed towards
COVID-19-related activities, and we will recruit more police officers .
When those details are finalised, no doubt we will make announcements in regard
to that. The member raised legislation going
through this Parliament, which is very important to deal with the issues that
the police will need to enforce. The
legislation that we want to get through Parliament this week deals with fines,
tracking and the protection of police officers against people who commit
offences and claim they are COVID-19 positive and therefore make a police
officer have to self-isolate. All I would say to the Liberal Party and the
Nationals WA is that we would like their help to get all that legislation
through this Parliament and, indeed, the other COVID-19-related legislation
this week.
Mr D.C. Nalder interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Bateman, this has nothing to do with you.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I urge the
Liberal and National Parties to pull Mr Goiran —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, I am on
my feet. I call the members for Dawesville, Bateman and Darling Range. I do not want to call anyone. This is a really serious
issue. We did not call anyone yesterday and now today we have four.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I call on both
major opposition parties —
Mr D.C. Nalder interjected.
The SPEAKER : I call the member for Bateman for the
second time.
Mr
M. McGOWAN : I call on both major
opposition parties to ensure that Mr Goiran and Mr Aldridge in the u pper
house do not delay important legislation that is designed to deal with the
COVID-19 problem in our state. That is a problem that the opposition, and only
the opposition, can solve.
The SPEAKER : That is the end
of question time.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : I call the member for
Bateman to order for the third time. I am on my feet, Leader of the Opposition and member for Dawesville. I did not hear anything from over there. I could not
because it was drowned out from this side. I think the Minister for Police said
something so I call her to order.
Mrs M.H. Roberts : You're
a cruel man.
The SPEAKER : I know.
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