❓ A parliamentary question regarding the Minister's confidence in the Police Commissioner amidst CCC inquiries. The Minister avoids directly answering key questions, leading to interjections and points of order.
AnsweredQoN 233Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
COMMISSIONER OF POLICE — CONFIDENCE OF PREMIER
AND MINISTER
233. Mr J.R. QUIGLEY to the Minister for Police:
I note that the government has again overruled the
Commissioner of Police and ordered not only that the school crossing guards not
be removed, but also more recently has prevented the removal of officers from
police and community youth centres.
(1) Does the minister still have confidence in the
Commissioner of Police?
(2) Did the
minister consult either the Premier or the Corruption and Crime Commission as
to whether Commissioner O'Callaghan should stand aside until the
current CCC inquiries into him are completed?
(3) If yes to (2), what was that advice; and, if the minister
did not seek that advice, why not?
AND MINISTER
233. Mr J.R. QUIGLEY to the Minister for Police:
I note that the government has again overruled the
Commissioner of Police and ordered not only that the school crossing guards not
be removed, but also more recently has prevented the removal of officers from
police and community youth centres.
(1) Does the minister still have confidence in the
Commissioner of Police?
(2) Did the
minister consult either the Premier or the Corruption and Crime Commission as
to whether Commissioner O'Callaghan should stand aside until the
current CCC inquiries into him are completed?
(3) If yes to (2), what was that advice; and, if the minister
did not seek that advice, why not?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3)
The member has asked a very varied question. He is dragging in the Corruption
and Crime Commission. He would know what the CCC does because the previous
Labor government investigated ministers almost on a daily basis. Let me try to
answer the question in the form that the member asked it. First, he referred to
the PCYCs and asked whether I or the Premier or anybody else overruled the
commissioner. The answer to that is no. The commissioner, the Premier and I are
of one mind in that we do not want —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Thank
you, members.
Mr
R.F. JOHNSON : They obviously do not want an answer to the question. They
will not like the answers because they are true.
I have press cuttings of comments that I have made to the
media, including The West Australian and other local newspapers, over the past few months indicating that there is
no intention to extract police officers from PCYCs.
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : What!
Mr R.F. JOHNSON : I
will show the member the press clippings if she would like—the
statements that the commissioner and I have made. The simple fact is that the
commissioner, the Premier and I and, indeed, I think most people—anybody
with any common sense—would not want police officers doing
administration duties, doing the books for PCYCs —
Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected.
Mr R.F. JOHNSON : I
am answering the question. We would not want the PCYCs running Zumba or
Gymbaroo classes or fundraising. That is not the job of police officers. We
want to see the police officers literally physically involved with the
youth-at-risk programs. That does not take all their time at the moment.
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : They're not going to be based there?
Mr
R.F. JOHNSON : They are going to be based there. It depends on what is meant
by ''based''. We want to try to increase the number of PCYC
programs. Many of my colleagues who do not have a PCYC in their electorate want
the benefits of the PCYC programs and officers who are running those programs
coming out into the community and working in their areas. They do not want
these police officers stuck in a building during all of their working day, five
days a week. They want them in the building if they are working on the programs
but if they are not, they want them in the community the rest of the time.
Mr M.P. Murray interjected.
Mr R.F. JOHNSON :
The member for Collie–Preston does not have a clue. He is a marron
smuggler.
The SPEAKER : I can
stay here until one o'clock if you would like me to, members. I presume
you want some more questions answered. Member for Collie–Preston, I
formally call you to order for the first time. Minister for Police, I have
indicated in this place previously today that we are not advantaged at all by
making personal references to other members. I formally call you to order for
the first time today as well.
Mr R.F. JOHNSON : I
had better watch myself now.
All that has changed is that the process is being delayed
slightly so that we can ensure we get the right people at the PCYCs because
they are separate organisations. They are not government owned; they are not
police owned.
Mr M. McGowan : Do
you have confidence in the police commissioner? That was the question.
Mr R.F. JOHNSON :
Yes, of course I do. I said I do.
Mr
M. McGowan : Part (2): did you consult with the Premier or the CCC as to
whether Commissioner O'Callaghan should stand aside?
Mr
R.F. JOHNSON : I certainly do not intend to answer that question. That is a
legal question.
Mr
M. McGowan : Did you consult with the Premier?
Mr R.F. JOHNSON : I
consult with the Premier all the time. It is inappropriate for the Leader of
the Opposition to ask questions about an investigation that is going on with
the CCC. They are the standards that he sets because many of his former
colleagues were in front of the CCC on an almost daily basis.
Mr J.R. Quigley :
And you called for them to be stood aside. What's different here?
Mr R.F. JOHNSON :
Let me just conclude because we have only limited time. The member for Mindarie
is wrong in his assumption that there is any difference of opinion among the
Premier, myself and the commissioner. We are working in the same direction to
try to ensure that we get to as many of our youth at risk and our priority and
prolific offenders who are causing problems in society as possible. We want to
try to rehabilitate them and get them into programs. If they are not in
programs that PCYCs are conducting or able to conduct, we want to try to get
those youngsters into other organisations in areas where there are no PCYCs. We
do not want police officers sitting in a building for their whole working lives
and not getting out into the community. That is not the best way to get to
those youth.
In relation to the children's
crossings, yes, I have stopped any children's crossings being abandoned
by crosswalk attendants because I take the safety of our children very
seriously. The criteria have been altered for any new crossings. Unless I
decide otherwise, those traffic wardens will stay in place. If the member
objects to that, I am sorry, but it seems that he does not take children's
safety into serious consideration.
I think I have answered all the questions now. I have
confidence in the police commissioner and we are working in the same direction
on PCYCs. I am more than happy to elaborate on that at a later date as I do not
want to take up all of question time. The questions usually asked by the member
for Mindarie normally attack our police officers, not praise them for the
wonderful work they do.
The member has asked a very varied question. He is dragging in the Corruption
and Crime Commission. He would know what the CCC does because the previous
Labor government investigated ministers almost on a daily basis. Let me try to
answer the question in the form that the member asked it. First, he referred to
the PCYCs and asked whether I or the Premier or anybody else overruled the
commissioner. The answer to that is no. The commissioner, the Premier and I are
of one mind in that we do not want —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Thank
you, members.
Mr
R.F. JOHNSON : They obviously do not want an answer to the question. They
will not like the answers because they are true.
I have press cuttings of comments that I have made to the
media, including The West Australian and other local newspapers, over the past few months indicating that there is
no intention to extract police officers from PCYCs.
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : What!
Mr R.F. JOHNSON : I
will show the member the press clippings if she would like—the
statements that the commissioner and I have made. The simple fact is that the
commissioner, the Premier and I and, indeed, I think most people—anybody
with any common sense—would not want police officers doing
administration duties, doing the books for PCYCs —
Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected.
Mr R.F. JOHNSON : I
am answering the question. We would not want the PCYCs running Zumba or
Gymbaroo classes or fundraising. That is not the job of police officers. We
want to see the police officers literally physically involved with the
youth-at-risk programs. That does not take all their time at the moment.
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : They're not going to be based there?
Mr
R.F. JOHNSON : They are going to be based there. It depends on what is meant
by ''based''. We want to try to increase the number of PCYC
programs. Many of my colleagues who do not have a PCYC in their electorate want
the benefits of the PCYC programs and officers who are running those programs
coming out into the community and working in their areas. They do not want
these police officers stuck in a building during all of their working day, five
days a week. They want them in the building if they are working on the programs
but if they are not, they want them in the community the rest of the time.
Mr M.P. Murray interjected.
Mr R.F. JOHNSON :
The member for Collie–Preston does not have a clue. He is a marron
smuggler.
The SPEAKER : I can
stay here until one o'clock if you would like me to, members. I presume
you want some more questions answered. Member for Collie–Preston, I
formally call you to order for the first time. Minister for Police, I have
indicated in this place previously today that we are not advantaged at all by
making personal references to other members. I formally call you to order for
the first time today as well.
Mr R.F. JOHNSON : I
had better watch myself now.
All that has changed is that the process is being delayed
slightly so that we can ensure we get the right people at the PCYCs because
they are separate organisations. They are not government owned; they are not
police owned.
Mr M. McGowan : Do
you have confidence in the police commissioner? That was the question.
Mr R.F. JOHNSON :
Yes, of course I do. I said I do.
Mr
M. McGowan : Part (2): did you consult with the Premier or the CCC as to
whether Commissioner O'Callaghan should stand aside?
Mr
R.F. JOHNSON : I certainly do not intend to answer that question. That is a
legal question.
Mr
M. McGowan : Did you consult with the Premier?
Mr R.F. JOHNSON : I
consult with the Premier all the time. It is inappropriate for the Leader of
the Opposition to ask questions about an investigation that is going on with
the CCC. They are the standards that he sets because many of his former
colleagues were in front of the CCC on an almost daily basis.
Mr J.R. Quigley :
And you called for them to be stood aside. What's different here?
Mr R.F. JOHNSON :
Let me just conclude because we have only limited time. The member for Mindarie
is wrong in his assumption that there is any difference of opinion among the
Premier, myself and the commissioner. We are working in the same direction to
try to ensure that we get to as many of our youth at risk and our priority and
prolific offenders who are causing problems in society as possible. We want to
try to rehabilitate them and get them into programs. If they are not in
programs that PCYCs are conducting or able to conduct, we want to try to get
those youngsters into other organisations in areas where there are no PCYCs. We
do not want police officers sitting in a building for their whole working lives
and not getting out into the community. That is not the best way to get to
those youth.
In relation to the children's
crossings, yes, I have stopped any children's crossings being abandoned
by crosswalk attendants because I take the safety of our children very
seriously. The criteria have been altered for any new crossings. Unless I
decide otherwise, those traffic wardens will stay in place. If the member
objects to that, I am sorry, but it seems that he does not take children's
safety into serious consideration.
I think I have answered all the questions now. I have
confidence in the police commissioner and we are working in the same direction
on PCYCs. I am more than happy to elaborate on that at a later date as I do not
want to take up all of question time. The questions usually asked by the member
for Mindarie normally attack our police officers, not praise them for the
wonderful work they do.
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