❓ Dr. Honey questions the Minister for Police about a high attrition rate of experienced police officers, suggesting dissatisfaction within the force. The Minister attributes attrition to a strong economy and abundant job opportunities.
AnsweredQoN 617Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
POLICE —
RECRUITMENT
617. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Minister for Police:
I have a supplementary question. Why
does the minister not focus on reducing the record attrition rate —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Member for Wanneroo, I will determine whether it is a supplementary question,
not you.
Dr D.J. HONEY : Why does the
minister not focus on reducing the record rate of attrition of experienced
officers from the police force instead of misleading this house with false
statistics?
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, member
for Landsdale! We did not need your comment either.
RECRUITMENT
617. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Minister for Police:
I have a supplementary question. Why
does the minister not focus on reducing the record attrition rate —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Member for Wanneroo, I will determine whether it is a supplementary question,
not you.
Dr D.J. HONEY : Why does the
minister not focus on reducing the record rate of attrition of experienced
officers from the police force instead of misleading this house with false
statistics?
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, member
for Landsdale! We did not need your comment either.
AnswerView source ↗
I have not misled the house. The
numbers are the numbers. It is clear that the growth of the police force under
our government is far exceeding that of the last five years of the former
government.
That
aside, the member's question seems to suggest that rather than having
the best economy in the world, the lowest unemployment rate in the
nation, the highest participation rate in the nation and many opportunities for
every sector of the economy, the member would prefer to have some alternative.
That is what the member is saying. If he is saying I have to reduce the
attrition rate at a time when it is entirely attributable to the economy and
the opportunities that —
Dr D.J. Honey : They're
leaving because they don't like the way they're treated.
Mr P. PAPALIA : What is it,
then, otherwise?
Dr D.J. Honey : You go and find
out.
Mr
P. PAPALIA : Is the member
suggesting that there is some other reason for officers seeking opportunities
after they have done 10 years of service and they have a bit of long
service leave behind them, and we have the greatest opportunity almost in the
history of the state in terms of jobs? Is the member suggesting that there is
some other reason?
Dr D.J. Honey : There's
a 300 per cent attrition rate increase, minister, and that's due to the
fact that you're not doing your job.
Mr P. PAPALIA : What is the
member suggesting is the reason, if it is not the economy and the opportunity?
Is he suggesting —
The SPEAKER : Minister, you
are asking too many questions of the opposition. This is a supplementary. It
was a relatively brief question. If I could just have a brief answer. Thank
you.
Mr P. PAPALIA : I am sorry,
Madam Speaker.
I am left only with the conclusion
that the member is somehow suggesting that the Commissioner of Police, the
leadership of the police, or something else going on in the police force is
driving police officers from the police force,
when that is not the case. We are attracting police officers at a record rate
and we are in the process of recruiting elsewhere because, like every
other sector of the economy, there is huge opportunity and great demand. People
are in demand. It is a challenge to deal with people who can rightly and
willingly just look for other opportunities, because
there are opportunities, because we are in one of the best places on the planet
in terms of the economy. That is a better problem to be dealing with
than the alternative.
Ms S. Winton interjected.
The
SPEAKER : We will just wait for
the member for Wanneroo before I give you the call. The member for Kimberley.
numbers are the numbers. It is clear that the growth of the police force under
our government is far exceeding that of the last five years of the former
government.
That
aside, the member's question seems to suggest that rather than having
the best economy in the world, the lowest unemployment rate in the
nation, the highest participation rate in the nation and many opportunities for
every sector of the economy, the member would prefer to have some alternative.
That is what the member is saying. If he is saying I have to reduce the
attrition rate at a time when it is entirely attributable to the economy and
the opportunities that —
Dr D.J. Honey : They're
leaving because they don't like the way they're treated.
Mr P. PAPALIA : What is it,
then, otherwise?
Dr D.J. Honey : You go and find
out.
Mr
P. PAPALIA : Is the member
suggesting that there is some other reason for officers seeking opportunities
after they have done 10 years of service and they have a bit of long
service leave behind them, and we have the greatest opportunity almost in the
history of the state in terms of jobs? Is the member suggesting that there is
some other reason?
Dr D.J. Honey : There's
a 300 per cent attrition rate increase, minister, and that's due to the
fact that you're not doing your job.
Mr P. PAPALIA : What is the
member suggesting is the reason, if it is not the economy and the opportunity?
Is he suggesting —
The SPEAKER : Minister, you
are asking too many questions of the opposition. This is a supplementary. It
was a relatively brief question. If I could just have a brief answer. Thank
you.
Mr P. PAPALIA : I am sorry,
Madam Speaker.
I am left only with the conclusion
that the member is somehow suggesting that the Commissioner of Police, the
leadership of the police, or something else going on in the police force is
driving police officers from the police force,
when that is not the case. We are attracting police officers at a record rate
and we are in the process of recruiting elsewhere because, like every
other sector of the economy, there is huge opportunity and great demand. People
are in demand. It is a challenge to deal with people who can rightly and
willingly just look for other opportunities, because
there are opportunities, because we are in one of the best places on the planet
in terms of the economy. That is a better problem to be dealing with
than the alternative.
Ms S. Winton interjected.
The
SPEAKER : We will just wait for
the member for Wanneroo before I give you the call. The member for Kimberley.
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