❓ A parliamentary question regarding claims made by the shadow Minister for Police about the coalition's support for police officers. The Minister refutes these claims, highlighting government achievements in police wages, benefits, and infrastructure.
AnsweredQoN 392Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
police, wages and salaries
Has the minister read the article in the WA Police News in which the shadow Minister for Police claimed that the coalition has badly let down police officers and their families? Will the minister set the record straight? Mr PRINCE
Has the minister read the article in the WA Police News in which the shadow Minister for Police claimed that the coalition has badly let down police officers and their families? Will the minister set the record straight? Mr PRINCE
AnswerView source ↗
I have read the article which appeared in the WA Police News . It was astounding in its inaccuracy and misstatements about the true position. Police officers in this State are, if not the highest paid, among the highest paid in the nation thanks to the enterprise bargaining agreement that was negotiated and signed in February last year, which gave a wage increase of 9 per cent in two and a half years. That is a 27.7 per cent increase since 1993. In addition to that, police officers in charge of a metropolitan police station get an extra payment of $2 340 and country OIC’s get more. Since 1999, the Government has increased the death and total-permanent disability benefit by 172 per cent, from $106 000 to $288 000, for officers permanently disabled or killed in the line of duty. The Government has legislated to provide officers with civil liability protection. The Industrial Relations Amendment Bill, which I understand passed the Legislative Council either last night or this morning, ensures that officers have access to industrial regulations through the Public Service Arbitrator. Next year, through the Police Administration Bill, occupational health and safety coverage agreed only this week will become part and parcel of the system. Merit-based promotion has come in. A new process that has been in place since July 1998 gives officers legal representation before the commencement of a legal action, and the negotiation with the union on the section 8 removals process is nearly complete. Contrast that with the budgetary position under the previous Labor Party Government. The Government has spent almost $3b on police. Twenty-seven new police stations, posts and district complexes have been built, and an academy and an operations centre are under construction. A new communications system is being implemented. All these things bring the Police Service really up to date. It is amongst the best in Australasia, and internationally regarded as such. All we have from the opposition spokesperson is misstatements and untruths pandering to a sectional interest that would like to think that the Government has done little for the police, when it has done an enormous amount. When the present Government came to power, the McCarrey commission said that the state of police infrastructure was appalling. That has been turned around completely in recent years, notwithstanding the debt left by the previous Government. The Police Service is now far better equipped for the future, and the Opposition will be reminded of this repeatedly during the election campaign.
Mr PRINCE replied: I have read the article which appeared in the WA Police News . It was astounding in its inaccuracy and misstatements about the true position. Police officers in this State are, if not the highest paid, among the highest paid in the nation thanks to the enterprise bargaining agreement that was negotiated and signed in February last year, which gave a wage increase of 9 per cent in two and a half years. That is a 27.7 per cent increase since 1993. In addition to that, police officers in charge of a metropolitan police station get an extra payment of $2 340 and country OIC’s get more. Since 1999, the Government has increased the death and total-permanent disability benefit by 172 per cent, from $106 000 to $288 000, for officers permanently disabled or killed in the line of duty. The Government has legislated to provide officers with civil liability protection. The Industrial Relations Amendment Bill, which I understand passed the Legislative Council either last night or this morning, ensures that officers have access to industrial regulations through the Public Service Arbitrator. Next year, through the Police Administration Bill, occupational health and safety coverage agreed only this week will become part and parcel of the system. Merit-based promotion has come in. A new process that has been in place since July 1998 gives officers legal representation before the commencement of a legal action, and the negotiation with the union on the section 8 removals process is nearly complete. Contrast that with the budgetary position under the previous Labor Party Government. The Government has spent almost $3b on police. Twenty-seven new police stations, posts and district complexes have been built, and an academy and an operations centre are under construction. A new communications system is being implemented. All these things bring the Police Service really up to date. It is amongst the best in Australasia, and internationally regarded as such. All we have from the opposition spokesperson is misstatements and untruths pandering to a sectional interest that would like to think that the Government has done little for the police, when it has done an enormous amount. When the present Government came to power, the McCarrey commission said that the state of police infrastructure was appalling. That has been turned around completely in recent years, notwithstanding the debt left by the previous Government. The Police Service is now far better equipped for the future, and the Opposition will be reminded of this repeatedly during the election campaign.
I have read the article which appeared in the WA Police News . It was astounding in its inaccuracy and misstatements about the true position. Police officers in this State are, if not the highest paid, among the highest paid in the nation thanks to the enterprise bargaining agreement that was negotiated and signed in February last year, which gave a wage increase of 9 per cent in two and a half years. That is a 27.7 per cent increase since 1993. In addition to that, police officers in charge of a metropolitan police station get an extra payment of $2 340 and country OIC’s get more. Since 1999, the Government has increased the death and total-permanent disability benefit by 172 per cent, from $106 000 to $288 000, for officers permanently disabled or killed in the line of duty. The Government has legislated to provide officers with civil liability protection. The Industrial Relations Amendment Bill, which I understand passed the Legislative Council either last night or this morning, ensures that officers have access to industrial regulations through the Public Service Arbitrator. Next year, through the Police Administration Bill, occupational health and safety coverage agreed only this week will become part and parcel of the system. Merit-based promotion has come in. A new process that has been in place since July 1998 gives officers legal representation before the commencement of a legal action, and the negotiation with the union on the section 8 removals process is nearly complete. Contrast that with the budgetary position under the previous Labor Party Government. The Government has spent almost $3b on police. Twenty-seven new police stations, posts and district complexes have been built, and an academy and an operations centre are under construction. A new communications system is being implemented. All these things bring the Police Service really up to date. It is amongst the best in Australasia, and internationally regarded as such. All we have from the opposition spokesperson is misstatements and untruths pandering to a sectional interest that would like to think that the Government has done little for the police, when it has done an enormous amount. When the present Government came to power, the McCarrey commission said that the state of police infrastructure was appalling. That has been turned around completely in recent years, notwithstanding the debt left by the previous Government. The Police Service is now far better equipped for the future, and the Opposition will be reminded of this repeatedly during the election campaign.
Since 1999, the Government has increased the death and total-permanent disability benefit by 172 per cent, from $106 000 to $288 000, for officers permanently disabled or killed in the line of duty. The Government has legislated to provide officers with civil liability protection. The Industrial Relations Amendment Bill, which I understand passed the Legislative Council either last night or this morning, ensures that officers have access to industrial regulations through the Public Service Arbitrator. Next year, through the Police Administration Bill, occupational health and safety coverage agreed only this week will become part and parcel of the system. Merit-based promotion has come in. A new process that has been in place since July 1998 gives officers legal representation before the commencement of a legal action, and the negotiation with the union on the section 8 removals process is nearly complete. Contrast that with the budgetary position under the previous Labor Party Government. The Government has spent almost $3b on police. Twenty-seven new police stations, posts and district complexes have been built, and an academy and an operations centre are under construction. A new communications system is being implemented. All these things bring the Police Service really up to date. It is amongst the best in Australasia, and internationally regarded as such. All we have from the opposition spokesperson is misstatements and untruths pandering to a sectional interest that would like to think that the Government has done little for the police, when it has done an enormous amount. When the present Government came to power, the McCarrey commission said that the state of police infrastructure was appalling. That has been turned around completely in recent years, notwithstanding the debt left by the previous Government. The Police Service is now far better equipped for the future, and the Opposition will be reminded of this repeatedly during the election campaign.
When the present Government came to power, the McCarrey commission said that the state of police infrastructure was appalling. That has been turned around completely in recent years, notwithstanding the debt left by the previous Government. The Police Service is now far better equipped for the future, and the Opposition will be reminded of this repeatedly during the election campaign.
Mr PRINCE replied: I have read the article which appeared in the WA Police News . It was astounding in its inaccuracy and misstatements about the true position. Police officers in this State are, if not the highest paid, among the highest paid in the nation thanks to the enterprise bargaining agreement that was negotiated and signed in February last year, which gave a wage increase of 9 per cent in two and a half years. That is a 27.7 per cent increase since 1993. In addition to that, police officers in charge of a metropolitan police station get an extra payment of $2 340 and country OIC’s get more. Since 1999, the Government has increased the death and total-permanent disability benefit by 172 per cent, from $106 000 to $288 000, for officers permanently disabled or killed in the line of duty. The Government has legislated to provide officers with civil liability protection. The Industrial Relations Amendment Bill, which I understand passed the Legislative Council either last night or this morning, ensures that officers have access to industrial regulations through the Public Service Arbitrator. Next year, through the Police Administration Bill, occupational health and safety coverage agreed only this week will become part and parcel of the system. Merit-based promotion has come in. A new process that has been in place since July 1998 gives officers legal representation before the commencement of a legal action, and the negotiation with the union on the section 8 removals process is nearly complete. Contrast that with the budgetary position under the previous Labor Party Government. The Government has spent almost $3b on police. Twenty-seven new police stations, posts and district complexes have been built, and an academy and an operations centre are under construction. A new communications system is being implemented. All these things bring the Police Service really up to date. It is amongst the best in Australasia, and internationally regarded as such. All we have from the opposition spokesperson is misstatements and untruths pandering to a sectional interest that would like to think that the Government has done little for the police, when it has done an enormous amount. When the present Government came to power, the McCarrey commission said that the state of police infrastructure was appalling. That has been turned around completely in recent years, notwithstanding the debt left by the previous Government. The Police Service is now far better equipped for the future, and the Opposition will be reminded of this repeatedly during the election campaign.
I have read the article which appeared in the WA Police News . It was astounding in its inaccuracy and misstatements about the true position. Police officers in this State are, if not the highest paid, among the highest paid in the nation thanks to the enterprise bargaining agreement that was negotiated and signed in February last year, which gave a wage increase of 9 per cent in two and a half years. That is a 27.7 per cent increase since 1993. In addition to that, police officers in charge of a metropolitan police station get an extra payment of $2 340 and country OIC’s get more. Since 1999, the Government has increased the death and total-permanent disability benefit by 172 per cent, from $106 000 to $288 000, for officers permanently disabled or killed in the line of duty. The Government has legislated to provide officers with civil liability protection. The Industrial Relations Amendment Bill, which I understand passed the Legislative Council either last night or this morning, ensures that officers have access to industrial regulations through the Public Service Arbitrator. Next year, through the Police Administration Bill, occupational health and safety coverage agreed only this week will become part and parcel of the system. Merit-based promotion has come in. A new process that has been in place since July 1998 gives officers legal representation before the commencement of a legal action, and the negotiation with the union on the section 8 removals process is nearly complete. Contrast that with the budgetary position under the previous Labor Party Government. The Government has spent almost $3b on police. Twenty-seven new police stations, posts and district complexes have been built, and an academy and an operations centre are under construction. A new communications system is being implemented. All these things bring the Police Service really up to date. It is amongst the best in Australasia, and internationally regarded as such. All we have from the opposition spokesperson is misstatements and untruths pandering to a sectional interest that would like to think that the Government has done little for the police, when it has done an enormous amount. When the present Government came to power, the McCarrey commission said that the state of police infrastructure was appalling. That has been turned around completely in recent years, notwithstanding the debt left by the previous Government. The Police Service is now far better equipped for the future, and the Opposition will be reminded of this repeatedly during the election campaign.
Since 1999, the Government has increased the death and total-permanent disability benefit by 172 per cent, from $106 000 to $288 000, for officers permanently disabled or killed in the line of duty. The Government has legislated to provide officers with civil liability protection. The Industrial Relations Amendment Bill, which I understand passed the Legislative Council either last night or this morning, ensures that officers have access to industrial regulations through the Public Service Arbitrator. Next year, through the Police Administration Bill, occupational health and safety coverage agreed only this week will become part and parcel of the system. Merit-based promotion has come in. A new process that has been in place since July 1998 gives officers legal representation before the commencement of a legal action, and the negotiation with the union on the section 8 removals process is nearly complete. Contrast that with the budgetary position under the previous Labor Party Government. The Government has spent almost $3b on police. Twenty-seven new police stations, posts and district complexes have been built, and an academy and an operations centre are under construction. A new communications system is being implemented. All these things bring the Police Service really up to date. It is amongst the best in Australasia, and internationally regarded as such. All we have from the opposition spokesperson is misstatements and untruths pandering to a sectional interest that would like to think that the Government has done little for the police, when it has done an enormous amount. When the present Government came to power, the McCarrey commission said that the state of police infrastructure was appalling. That has been turned around completely in recent years, notwithstanding the debt left by the previous Government. The Police Service is now far better equipped for the future, and the Opposition will be reminded of this repeatedly during the election campaign.
When the present Government came to power, the McCarrey commission said that the state of police infrastructure was appalling. That has been turned around completely in recent years, notwithstanding the debt left by the previous Government. The Police Service is now far better equipped for the future, and the Opposition will be reminded of this repeatedly during the election campaign.
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