❓ Opposition questions the government's use of overtime for police instead of hiring more officers. The Premier defends the overtime strategy, highlights the increase in police numbers since the election, and criticizes the opposition's lack of a police policy.
AnsweredQoN 1108Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
POLICE —
ADDITIONAL OFFICERS
1108. Mr P.A. KATSAMBANIS to the Premier:
At the end of the third year of the
Premier's do-nothing Labor government —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, please;
there is not long to go. Relax.
Mr P.A. KATSAMBANIS : —
why is the government overworking already stretched police officers across our
state over summer rather than providing additional police officers?
ADDITIONAL OFFICERS
1108. Mr P.A. KATSAMBANIS to the Premier:
At the end of the third year of the
Premier's do-nothing Labor government —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, please;
there is not long to go. Relax.
Mr P.A. KATSAMBANIS : —
why is the government overworking already stretched police officers across our
state over summer rather than providing additional police officers?
AnswerView source ↗
What a strange question. On the
weekend, the Minister for Police announced an expansion to overtime over the summer period to ensure that we have an additional
police presence in the period over the school holidays, particularly with longer hours of daylight and more people on holidays and leave, because,
naturally, when there are more hours of leisure, there can be some additional
antisocial behaviour and the like. An additional police presence using overtime
is appropriate. I might say that if anyone talks to a police officer, they will
be told that they support what the minister
has announced. It is highly supported by the police force and the officers in
the police force, because it makes total sense. It is broadly consistent
with what has occurred in past years. On top of that, 148 additional police
officers have been employed since we arrived in office after the election. That
is 148 additional officers since we arrived in office. What we did allow, and I
have explained this to the member before, was the targeted voluntary separation
scheme to apply to police, because some police who might have been in the
service for longer might have wanted the opportunity to leave, and that allowed
us to employ more recruits and get some renewal into the police force, which I think
a lot of police would think was a reasonable and appropriate thing to do. It
has resulted in an additional 148 police officers since we came to office. Only
one party went to the last state election with a policy to expand the number of
police officers, and that was the Labor Party. The Liberal Party did not. We
were waiting for the Liberal Party's policy, Leader of the Opposition.
We were waiting for the Liberal Party's policy, but no policy appeared.
We were watching each day wondering when the Liberal Party was going to do some
work, and nothing came out.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr M. McGOWAN : We went to the
election with the meth border force—again, a very sensible initiative
to deal with a major problem in the community —
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine, I call you to order for the first time
Mr M. McGOWAN : — and
we have delivered the meth border force and then some.
weekend, the Minister for Police announced an expansion to overtime over the summer period to ensure that we have an additional
police presence in the period over the school holidays, particularly with longer hours of daylight and more people on holidays and leave, because,
naturally, when there are more hours of leisure, there can be some additional
antisocial behaviour and the like. An additional police presence using overtime
is appropriate. I might say that if anyone talks to a police officer, they will
be told that they support what the minister
has announced. It is highly supported by the police force and the officers in
the police force, because it makes total sense. It is broadly consistent
with what has occurred in past years. On top of that, 148 additional police
officers have been employed since we arrived in office after the election. That
is 148 additional officers since we arrived in office. What we did allow, and I
have explained this to the member before, was the targeted voluntary separation
scheme to apply to police, because some police who might have been in the
service for longer might have wanted the opportunity to leave, and that allowed
us to employ more recruits and get some renewal into the police force, which I think
a lot of police would think was a reasonable and appropriate thing to do. It
has resulted in an additional 148 police officers since we came to office. Only
one party went to the last state election with a policy to expand the number of
police officers, and that was the Labor Party. The Liberal Party did not. We
were waiting for the Liberal Party's policy, Leader of the Opposition.
We were waiting for the Liberal Party's policy, but no policy appeared.
We were watching each day wondering when the Liberal Party was going to do some
work, and nothing came out.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr M. McGOWAN : We went to the
election with the meth border force—again, a very sensible initiative
to deal with a major problem in the community —
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine, I call you to order for the first time
Mr M. McGOWAN : — and
we have delivered the meth border force and then some.
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