❓ Mr Katsambanis questions the Minister for Police about the location of sex offenders identified in Operation Fledermaus in Roebourne. The Minister deflects, accusing Mr Katsambanis of fear-mongering and highlighting police successes while avoiding a direct answer.
AnsweredQoN 711Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SEX OFFENDERS —
OPERATION FLEDERMAUS — ROEBOURNE
711. Mr P.A. KATSAMBANIS to the Minister for Police:
(1) Can the
minister confirm that, as of last week, her government did not know the
location of the 58 sex offenders identified in Operation Fledermaus in
Roebourne?
(2) Can she confirm that police have
now identified their location; and, if not, why not?
OPERATION FLEDERMAUS — ROEBOURNE
711. Mr P.A. KATSAMBANIS to the Minister for Police:
(1) Can the
minister confirm that, as of last week, her government did not know the
location of the 58 sex offenders identified in Operation Fledermaus in
Roebourne?
(2) Can she confirm that police have
now identified their location; and, if not, why not?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) No,
I cannot confirm anything that the member for Hillarys has put to us. I answered
a question in the upper house with respect to this yesterday. Last week, a question
was asked in the upper house without notice that had a number of parts to it. It
related to Operation Fledermaus and matters in the Pilbara. That question was
given to us without notice in the upper house, and rather than give a part
answer, I asked them to put the question on notice last week. That was a question
by Hon Nick Goiran. I did that because police could not provide me with the
information in the time frame required. People may recall that at this time
last week police were dealing with a number of very serious inquiries, many of
them ongoing. One was the homicides in Bedford; another was the drownings at Maylands
in the Swan River; and just that day they had discovered the body of a woman
who had been missing in the Armadale region, and that missing person's
inquiry changed to a homicide inquiry. Senior police, lots of police, huge
numbers of police were involved in all those operations.
Mr P.A. Katsambanis interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Hillarys.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : What the
member for Hillarys tries to do time and time again is whip up fear in the
community—fear that crime is going up, fear that sex predators are out
there in the community and are not being appropriately monitored. It is
irresponsible of the member for Hillarys to continue to try to spread this fear
in the community. The fact of the matter is, as I told the house already, crime
in this state, at the end of this financial year, police advise, was that it
was the best year on record in 10 years.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members on my
left.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The
comparison the member for Hillarys did the other day was entirely invalid. He
compared six months one year with six months the next year.
Mr P.A. Katsambanis interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Hillarys, I call you to order for the second time.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The member
should compare the same months from year to year at least and at least let us
look at a 12-month comparison.
Mr P.A. Katsambanis interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Hillarys!
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The figures
over the last six months are far better than they were when the Liberal Party
was in office. Perhaps the member could congratulate WA police on the excellent
job they are doing.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Some of the
finest officers ever have been involved in Operation Fledermaus, and certainly
some of our finest officers are managing the registered sex offenders in this
state. They take their job very seriously. If I give a commitment in this house
that we 100 per cent know something or 100 per cent know the whereabouts of
every person, that is the set up. Members opposite ask me whether I can tell
them here and now that the police know exactly where every one of those 58
people are today. Some of them are in custody. Some of them are on bail.
Mr P.A. Katsambanis interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Hillarys, I call you to order for the third time.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Can I give
a 100 per cent undertaking that police know where every one of them is every
minute of the day while they are on bail? If I say, ''No, I can't'',
they want to run out with the big press release and the big headline ''Minister
can't say she knows where every single one of them is all the time''.
The member has had a comprehensive answer to Hon Nick Goiran's
question; it was given in the other house yesterday. I suggest he read it.
I cannot confirm anything that the member for Hillarys has put to us. I answered
a question in the upper house with respect to this yesterday. Last week, a question
was asked in the upper house without notice that had a number of parts to it. It
related to Operation Fledermaus and matters in the Pilbara. That question was
given to us without notice in the upper house, and rather than give a part
answer, I asked them to put the question on notice last week. That was a question
by Hon Nick Goiran. I did that because police could not provide me with the
information in the time frame required. People may recall that at this time
last week police were dealing with a number of very serious inquiries, many of
them ongoing. One was the homicides in Bedford; another was the drownings at Maylands
in the Swan River; and just that day they had discovered the body of a woman
who had been missing in the Armadale region, and that missing person's
inquiry changed to a homicide inquiry. Senior police, lots of police, huge
numbers of police were involved in all those operations.
Mr P.A. Katsambanis interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Hillarys.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : What the
member for Hillarys tries to do time and time again is whip up fear in the
community—fear that crime is going up, fear that sex predators are out
there in the community and are not being appropriately monitored. It is
irresponsible of the member for Hillarys to continue to try to spread this fear
in the community. The fact of the matter is, as I told the house already, crime
in this state, at the end of this financial year, police advise, was that it
was the best year on record in 10 years.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members on my
left.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The
comparison the member for Hillarys did the other day was entirely invalid. He
compared six months one year with six months the next year.
Mr P.A. Katsambanis interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Hillarys, I call you to order for the second time.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The member
should compare the same months from year to year at least and at least let us
look at a 12-month comparison.
Mr P.A. Katsambanis interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Hillarys!
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The figures
over the last six months are far better than they were when the Liberal Party
was in office. Perhaps the member could congratulate WA police on the excellent
job they are doing.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Some of the
finest officers ever have been involved in Operation Fledermaus, and certainly
some of our finest officers are managing the registered sex offenders in this
state. They take their job very seriously. If I give a commitment in this house
that we 100 per cent know something or 100 per cent know the whereabouts of
every person, that is the set up. Members opposite ask me whether I can tell
them here and now that the police know exactly where every one of those 58
people are today. Some of them are in custody. Some of them are on bail.
Mr P.A. Katsambanis interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Hillarys, I call you to order for the third time.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Can I give
a 100 per cent undertaking that police know where every one of them is every
minute of the day while they are on bail? If I say, ''No, I can't'',
they want to run out with the big press release and the big headline ''Minister
can't say she knows where every single one of them is all the time''.
The member has had a comprehensive answer to Hon Nick Goiran's
question; it was given in the other house yesterday. I suggest he read it.
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