❓ Mr. Healy asks about the implementation of the police compensation scheme. The Minister details the scheme's benefits, including financial support and tax exemption, highlighting the government's commitment to police welfare.
AnsweredQoN 539Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
POLICE — COMPENSATION SCHEME
539. Mr T.J. HEALY to the Minister for Police:
Thank
you, Speaker, I concur. It is interesting to see all the Liberal and National
rats eating each other at the moment.
The SPEAKER : That is not the
best way to start your question, so start again, thanks.
Mr T.J. HEALY : I refer to
the McGowan Labor government's unprecedented support for police
officers. Can the minister update the house on the implementation of this
government's police compensation scheme and outline any additional
benefits that will provide further assistance to those officers who need to
access the scheme?
539. Mr T.J. HEALY to the Minister for Police:
Thank
you, Speaker, I concur. It is interesting to see all the Liberal and National
rats eating each other at the moment.
The SPEAKER : That is not the
best way to start your question, so start again, thanks.
Mr T.J. HEALY : I refer to
the McGowan Labor government's unprecedented support for police
officers. Can the minister update the house on the implementation of this
government's police compensation scheme and outline any additional
benefits that will provide further assistance to those officers who need to
access the scheme?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for his question
and his fulsome support of, particularly, his local police.
The government introduced the
Police Amendment (Compensation Scheme) Bill to Parliament last year and the act
came into effect on 1 January. That legislation was a commitment at the last
state election. It is like train building—something
that the opposition said could not be done, something it was unable to deliver
but also something that it said could not be done. We did it.
Since we took office in 2017, we
have also grown the number of police officers who will benefit from that
scheme. Hopefully, they will not have to access it, but they will know that it
is there as a safeguard in the event that they are medically retired. We have
grown the number of officers in the police force from the number that was in
place when we took office by over 550. That is huge growth. We are growing that
number all the time and, as members know, we are committed to growing it
further.
For the awareness of
members, I want to reiterate the benefits of the scheme that the Liberals and
Nationals said could not be delivered to our police officers. It
enhances the level of care and support to officers who are no longer able to serve as a result of being medically retired
and injured in the line of duty. They will be eligible for a compensation
payment of up to $243 991, with a lump sum payment of $17 079 for vocational
support and retraining. An officer may access an additional amount of up to 75 per
cent of the prescribed amount, making a total combined sum of $418 563, when an officer suffers permanent and
total incapacity and their social and financial circumstances j ustify
it. That is a huge benefit that was not there before, not even before this
year.
However, there is better news for
those officers who, sadly, may have to access this scheme. I can confirm that
the McGowan government has worked with the Australian Taxation Office and has
been successful in having the ATO amend its initial decision to tax those
payouts. That means that the payments made under the scheme to medically retired members of the WA Police Force will not be
taxable. It is a terrible thing for an officer who is injured, either physically or through having suffered some trauma and is psychologically
incapacitated, to the extent that they are no longer able to work. But now, all
of us should be very proud of the fact that this year this government delivered
support for those officers that was never there before; and, in addition, it
will be tax free.
The SPEAKER : Order! The
member for Roe with the last question.
and his fulsome support of, particularly, his local police.
The government introduced the
Police Amendment (Compensation Scheme) Bill to Parliament last year and the act
came into effect on 1 January. That legislation was a commitment at the last
state election. It is like train building—something
that the opposition said could not be done, something it was unable to deliver
but also something that it said could not be done. We did it.
Since we took office in 2017, we
have also grown the number of police officers who will benefit from that
scheme. Hopefully, they will not have to access it, but they will know that it
is there as a safeguard in the event that they are medically retired. We have
grown the number of officers in the police force from the number that was in
place when we took office by over 550. That is huge growth. We are growing that
number all the time and, as members know, we are committed to growing it
further.
For the awareness of
members, I want to reiterate the benefits of the scheme that the Liberals and
Nationals said could not be delivered to our police officers. It
enhances the level of care and support to officers who are no longer able to serve as a result of being medically retired
and injured in the line of duty. They will be eligible for a compensation
payment of up to $243 991, with a lump sum payment of $17 079 for vocational
support and retraining. An officer may access an additional amount of up to 75 per
cent of the prescribed amount, making a total combined sum of $418 563, when an officer suffers permanent and
total incapacity and their social and financial circumstances j ustify
it. That is a huge benefit that was not there before, not even before this
year.
However, there is better news for
those officers who, sadly, may have to access this scheme. I can confirm that
the McGowan government has worked with the Australian Taxation Office and has
been successful in having the ATO amend its initial decision to tax those
payouts. That means that the payments made under the scheme to medically retired members of the WA Police Force will not be
taxable. It is a terrible thing for an officer who is injured, either physically or through having suffered some trauma and is psychologically
incapacitated, to the extent that they are no longer able to work. But now, all
of us should be very proud of the fact that this year this government delivered
support for those officers that was never there before; and, in addition, it
will be tax free.
The SPEAKER : Order! The
member for Roe with the last question.
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