❓ Mrs O'Malley asks about police recruitment and undermining of police work. The Minister responds with recruitment figures and accuses the opposition of undermining police efforts, particularly regarding COVID and meth.
AnsweredQoN 579Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
POLICE — RECRUITMENT
579. Mrs L.M. O'MALLEY to the Minister for Police:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's unprecedented investment in
supporting our police, which is delivering the biggest growth in police
numbers in the state's history. Can the minister update the house on
the recruitment of new police officers; and can the minister advise the house
whether he is aware of anyone seeking to undermine the great work our police are
doing to keep WA safe?
579. Mrs L.M. O'MALLEY to the Minister for Police:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's unprecedented investment in
supporting our police, which is delivering the biggest growth in police
numbers in the state's history. Can the minister update the house on
the recruitment of new police officers; and can the minister advise the house
whether he is aware of anyone seeking to undermine the great work our police are
doing to keep WA safe?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member. I can update the
house. As I indicated earlier, the previous Minister for Police, the current Speaker, embarked upon the biggest Western Australia
Police Force recruitment undertaking the state had ever s een. The
recruitment process began in July last year with the objective of growing the
force by 950 above attrition over four years—a growth of 15 per cent.
At the end of the last term of office, eight squads graduated from the academy,
with 235 additional officers joining the force. Since the election this year,
10 additional squads have graduated, with an additional 278 officers, for a total
of 513 additional police officers in the 18 months or so since that process
began. That is an extraordinary number, but we are going to continue
delivering. Over the next three financial years, 200 additional officers above
attrition will be recruited, and we are on target to deliver that every year.
That is a good thing.
With
regard to the second part of the member's question, apart from the
member for North West Central, sadly I have become aware of other
opposition members who are undermining our police force. I understand that the
opposition police spokesperson was reported in The West Australian of 8
October as criticising the operational deployment decisions of the Commissioner
of Police, who is, in my opinion, the best police commissioner this state has
ever seen and who is confronting
extraordinary challenges. The opposition police spokesperson is suggesting that
police officers should not be assigned to the meth task force, because that is
not a priority in the opposition's eyes. He also disparaged
police officers who had been assigned to keeping COVID out of the state. He
said that they are —
� standing around at the airport
making sure that incoming passengers have their masks on �
That
is what the opposition believes police officers assigned to Operation TIDE are
doing. They have been valiantly serving
the state for the last 18 or 19 months, keeping a pandemic at bay. That is
apparently what the opposition believes they have been doing. The opposition appears to be determined to throw
open our borders and let meth and COVID flood into Western Australia. It is
extraordinary. I was proud to be there this morning with the Attorney General
to announce additional measures for the police to combat meth and bikies
bringing meth into this state. I think the police
officers who were standing behind us today know whose side the Western Australian
government is on. The question, of course, is: whose side are the
Liberal Party and the National Party on?
house. As I indicated earlier, the previous Minister for Police, the current Speaker, embarked upon the biggest Western Australia
Police Force recruitment undertaking the state had ever s een. The
recruitment process began in July last year with the objective of growing the
force by 950 above attrition over four years—a growth of 15 per cent.
At the end of the last term of office, eight squads graduated from the academy,
with 235 additional officers joining the force. Since the election this year,
10 additional squads have graduated, with an additional 278 officers, for a total
of 513 additional police officers in the 18 months or so since that process
began. That is an extraordinary number, but we are going to continue
delivering. Over the next three financial years, 200 additional officers above
attrition will be recruited, and we are on target to deliver that every year.
That is a good thing.
With
regard to the second part of the member's question, apart from the
member for North West Central, sadly I have become aware of other
opposition members who are undermining our police force. I understand that the
opposition police spokesperson was reported in The West Australian of 8
October as criticising the operational deployment decisions of the Commissioner
of Police, who is, in my opinion, the best police commissioner this state has
ever seen and who is confronting
extraordinary challenges. The opposition police spokesperson is suggesting that
police officers should not be assigned to the meth task force, because that is
not a priority in the opposition's eyes. He also disparaged
police officers who had been assigned to keeping COVID out of the state. He
said that they are —
� standing around at the airport
making sure that incoming passengers have their masks on �
That
is what the opposition believes police officers assigned to Operation TIDE are
doing. They have been valiantly serving
the state for the last 18 or 19 months, keeping a pandemic at bay. That is
apparently what the opposition believes they have been doing. The opposition appears to be determined to throw
open our borders and let meth and COVID flood into Western Australia. It is
extraordinary. I was proud to be there this morning with the Attorney General
to announce additional measures for the police to combat meth and bikies
bringing meth into this state. I think the police
officers who were standing behind us today know whose side the Western Australian
government is on. The question, of course, is: whose side are the
Liberal Party and the National Party on?
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