❓ Mr. Birney (ALP) questions the Minister for Police regarding a reported decrease in police officer numbers across WA districts, challenging the government's commitment to increasing police strength. The Minister refutes the claim, stating the police service is operating above authorized strength and accusing Mr. Birney of spreading misinformation.
AnsweredQoN 361Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer the minister to the Australian Labor Party election policy “more police, better policing”, which states Labor is determined to ensure that authorised strengths are actually being met. Given that, according to recent figures tabled in this Parliament, the Government has slashed the authorised strength of every single policing district in Western Australia by a total of 169 officers since August of last year - including 66 in the central metropolitan district, four in the east metropolitan district, five in the north west metropolitan district, four in the south east metropolitan district, six in the south metropolitan district, three in the west metropolitan district, eight in the great southern district, four in the Peel district, two in the south west district, five in the wheatbelt district, nine in the goldfields-Esperance district, 21 in the Kimberley district, 18 in the mid west-Gascoyne district and 14 in the Pilbara district - will the minister now concede that not only has she failed in her duties as the Minister for Justice but also she has failed in her duties as the Minister for Police and Emergency Services? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Kalgoorlie for this question because it gives me the opportunity to refute some of the rubbish that he has been peddling for some months now. In fact, the Western Australia Police Service is well up on authorised strength. The fact of the matter is that when the member made these claims in May, I checked how many officers there were above the authorised strength of the service. The figure was 43 sworn full-time equivalents above authorised strength. I believe the figure for June is about 20 above authorised strength. The interesting point is that, as part of the 250 police officers, we have already engaged 175 additional police officers over and above attrition. As I have said in the House before, to engage those additional 250, we will put through the Police Academy over a four-year period more than 1 000 extra officers. When the Premier and I attended the academy last week and I checked the figure, I found that 180 police officers were in training. In addition, about 20 Aboriginal police liaison officers were in training. Therefore, more than 200 people in total were training at the Police Academy last week when the Premier and I attended there. The issue really is this: the Government has funded the Police Service. It has given it a massive increase in funding. We have already engaged an additional 175 police officers. The Police Service is currently operating above authorised strength across the board. However, the decision on deployment - even people opposite will have to agree on this - of those officers is one for the Commissioner of Police. Now perhaps the member for Kalgoorlie would like to tell me - Mr M.J. Birney: “It’s not my fault.” Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Those opposite are putting forward a policy. Will their policy be to direct the Commissioner of Police where to put police officers? Mr M.J. Birney: Can I answer the question? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Of course that is not their policy, because they would be laughed out of town. The proposition that the member puts is simply ridiculous. All the Government can do is ensure that the police have resources and are funded to authorised strength. The fact of the matter is that, with the budget we have given the Police Service, it is currently running above authorised strength right across the board. Maybe those opposite do not have faith in the Commissioner of Police to do that job. However, I look forward to seeing a policy from them indicating that they will do anything different.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: I thank the member for Kalgoorlie for this question because it gives me the opportunity to refute some of the rubbish that he has been peddling for some months now. In fact, the Western Australia Police Service is well up on authorised strength. The fact of the matter is that when the member made these claims in May, I checked how many officers there were above the authorised strength of the service. The figure was 43 sworn full-time equivalents above authorised strength. I believe the figure for June is about 20 above authorised strength. The interesting point is that, as part of the 250 police officers, we have already engaged 175 additional police officers over and above attrition. As I have said in the House before, to engage those additional 250, we will put through the Police Academy over a four-year period more than 1 000 extra officers. When the Premier and I attended the academy last week and I checked the figure, I found that 180 police officers were in training. In addition, about 20 Aboriginal police liaison officers were in training. Therefore, more than 200 people in total were training at the Police Academy last week when the Premier and I attended there. The issue really is this: the Government has funded the Police Service. It has given it a massive increase in funding. We have already engaged an additional 175 police officers. The Police Service is currently operating above authorised strength across the board. However, the decision on deployment - even people opposite will have to agree on this - of those officers is one for the Commissioner of Police. Now perhaps the member for Kalgoorlie would like to tell me - Mr M.J. Birney: “It’s not my fault.” Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Those opposite are putting forward a policy. Will their policy be to direct the Commissioner of Police where to put police officers? Mr M.J. Birney: Can I answer the question? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Of course that is not their policy, because they would be laughed out of town. The proposition that the member puts is simply ridiculous. All the Government can do is ensure that the police have resources and are funded to authorised strength. The fact of the matter is that, with the budget we have given the Police Service, it is currently running above authorised strength right across the board. Maybe those opposite do not have faith in the Commissioner of Police to do that job. However, I look forward to seeing a policy from them indicating that they will do anything different.
I thank the member for Kalgoorlie for this question because it gives me the opportunity to refute some of the rubbish that he has been peddling for some months now. In fact, the Western Australia Police Service is well up on authorised strength. The fact of the matter is that when the member made these claims in May, I checked how many officers there were above the authorised strength of the service. The figure was 43 sworn full-time equivalents above authorised strength. I believe the figure for June is about 20 above authorised strength. The interesting point is that, as part of the 250 police officers, we have already engaged 175 additional police officers over and above attrition. As I have said in the House before, to engage those additional 250, we will put through the Police Academy over a four-year period more than 1 000 extra officers. When the Premier and I attended the academy last week and I checked the figure, I found that 180 police officers were in training. In addition, about 20 Aboriginal police liaison officers were in training. Therefore, more than 200 people in total were training at the Police Academy last week when the Premier and I attended there. The issue really is this: the Government has funded the Police Service. It has given it a massive increase in funding. We have already engaged an additional 175 police officers. The Police Service is currently operating above authorised strength across the board. However, the decision on deployment - even people opposite will have to agree on this - of those officers is one for the Commissioner of Police. Now perhaps the member for Kalgoorlie would like to tell me - Mr M.J. Birney: “It’s not my fault.” Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Those opposite are putting forward a policy. Will their policy be to direct the Commissioner of Police where to put police officers? Mr M.J. Birney: Can I answer the question? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Of course that is not their policy, because they would be laughed out of town. The proposition that the member puts is simply ridiculous. All the Government can do is ensure that the police have resources and are funded to authorised strength. The fact of the matter is that, with the budget we have given the Police Service, it is currently running above authorised strength right across the board. Maybe those opposite do not have faith in the Commissioner of Police to do that job. However, I look forward to seeing a policy from them indicating that they will do anything different.
The interesting point is that, as part of the 250 police officers, we have already engaged 175 additional police officers over and above attrition. As I have said in the House before, to engage those additional 250, we will put through the Police Academy over a four-year period more than 1 000 extra officers. When the Premier and I attended the academy last week and I checked the figure, I found that 180 police officers were in training. In addition, about 20 Aboriginal police liaison officers were in training. Therefore, more than 200 people in total were training at the Police Academy last week when the Premier and I attended there. The issue really is this: the Government has funded the Police Service. It has given it a massive increase in funding. We have already engaged an additional 175 police officers. The Police Service is currently operating above authorised strength across the board. However, the decision on deployment - even people opposite will have to agree on this - of those officers is one for the Commissioner of Police. Now perhaps the member for Kalgoorlie would like to tell me - Mr M.J. Birney: “It’s not my fault.” Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Those opposite are putting forward a policy. Will their policy be to direct the Commissioner of Police where to put police officers? Mr M.J. Birney: Can I answer the question? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Of course that is not their policy, because they would be laughed out of town. The proposition that the member puts is simply ridiculous. All the Government can do is ensure that the police have resources and are funded to authorised strength. The fact of the matter is that, with the budget we have given the Police Service, it is currently running above authorised strength right across the board. Maybe those opposite do not have faith in the Commissioner of Police to do that job. However, I look forward to seeing a policy from them indicating that they will do anything different.
The issue really is this: the Government has funded the Police Service. It has given it a massive increase in funding. We have already engaged an additional 175 police officers. The Police Service is currently operating above authorised strength across the board. However, the decision on deployment - even people opposite will have to agree on this - of those officers is one for the Commissioner of Police. Now perhaps the member for Kalgoorlie would like to tell me - Mr M.J. Birney: “It’s not my fault.” Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Those opposite are putting forward a policy. Will their policy be to direct the Commissioner of Police where to put police officers? Mr M.J. Birney: Can I answer the question? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Of course that is not their policy, because they would be laughed out of town. The proposition that the member puts is simply ridiculous. All the Government can do is ensure that the police have resources and are funded to authorised strength. The fact of the matter is that, with the budget we have given the Police Service, it is currently running above authorised strength right across the board. Maybe those opposite do not have faith in the Commissioner of Police to do that job. However, I look forward to seeing a policy from them indicating that they will do anything different.
Mr M.J. Birney: “It’s not my fault.” Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Those opposite are putting forward a policy. Will their policy be to direct the Commissioner of Police where to put police officers? Mr M.J. Birney: Can I answer the question? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Of course that is not their policy, because they would be laughed out of town. The proposition that the member puts is simply ridiculous. All the Government can do is ensure that the police have resources and are funded to authorised strength. The fact of the matter is that, with the budget we have given the Police Service, it is currently running above authorised strength right across the board. Maybe those opposite do not have faith in the Commissioner of Police to do that job. However, I look forward to seeing a policy from them indicating that they will do anything different.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Those opposite are putting forward a policy. Will their policy be to direct the Commissioner of Police where to put police officers? Mr M.J. Birney: Can I answer the question? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Of course that is not their policy, because they would be laughed out of town. The proposition that the member puts is simply ridiculous. All the Government can do is ensure that the police have resources and are funded to authorised strength. The fact of the matter is that, with the budget we have given the Police Service, it is currently running above authorised strength right across the board. Maybe those opposite do not have faith in the Commissioner of Police to do that job. However, I look forward to seeing a policy from them indicating that they will do anything different.
Mr M.J. Birney: Can I answer the question? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Of course that is not their policy, because they would be laughed out of town. The proposition that the member puts is simply ridiculous. All the Government can do is ensure that the police have resources and are funded to authorised strength. The fact of the matter is that, with the budget we have given the Police Service, it is currently running above authorised strength right across the board. Maybe those opposite do not have faith in the Commissioner of Police to do that job. However, I look forward to seeing a policy from them indicating that they will do anything different.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Of course that is not their policy, because they would be laughed out of town. The proposition that the member puts is simply ridiculous. All the Government can do is ensure that the police have resources and are funded to authorised strength. The fact of the matter is that, with the budget we have given the Police Service, it is currently running above authorised strength right across the board. Maybe those opposite do not have faith in the Commissioner of Police to do that job. However, I look forward to seeing a policy from them indicating that they will do anything different.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: I thank the member for Kalgoorlie for this question because it gives me the opportunity to refute some of the rubbish that he has been peddling for some months now. In fact, the Western Australia Police Service is well up on authorised strength. The fact of the matter is that when the member made these claims in May, I checked how many officers there were above the authorised strength of the service. The figure was 43 sworn full-time equivalents above authorised strength. I believe the figure for June is about 20 above authorised strength. The interesting point is that, as part of the 250 police officers, we have already engaged 175 additional police officers over and above attrition. As I have said in the House before, to engage those additional 250, we will put through the Police Academy over a four-year period more than 1 000 extra officers. When the Premier and I attended the academy last week and I checked the figure, I found that 180 police officers were in training. In addition, about 20 Aboriginal police liaison officers were in training. Therefore, more than 200 people in total were training at the Police Academy last week when the Premier and I attended there. The issue really is this: the Government has funded the Police Service. It has given it a massive increase in funding. We have already engaged an additional 175 police officers. The Police Service is currently operating above authorised strength across the board. However, the decision on deployment - even people opposite will have to agree on this - of those officers is one for the Commissioner of Police. Now perhaps the member for Kalgoorlie would like to tell me - Mr M.J. Birney: “It’s not my fault.” Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Those opposite are putting forward a policy. Will their policy be to direct the Commissioner of Police where to put police officers? Mr M.J. Birney: Can I answer the question? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Of course that is not their policy, because they would be laughed out of town. The proposition that the member puts is simply ridiculous. All the Government can do is ensure that the police have resources and are funded to authorised strength. The fact of the matter is that, with the budget we have given the Police Service, it is currently running above authorised strength right across the board. Maybe those opposite do not have faith in the Commissioner of Police to do that job. However, I look forward to seeing a policy from them indicating that they will do anything different.
I thank the member for Kalgoorlie for this question because it gives me the opportunity to refute some of the rubbish that he has been peddling for some months now. In fact, the Western Australia Police Service is well up on authorised strength. The fact of the matter is that when the member made these claims in May, I checked how many officers there were above the authorised strength of the service. The figure was 43 sworn full-time equivalents above authorised strength. I believe the figure for June is about 20 above authorised strength. The interesting point is that, as part of the 250 police officers, we have already engaged 175 additional police officers over and above attrition. As I have said in the House before, to engage those additional 250, we will put through the Police Academy over a four-year period more than 1 000 extra officers. When the Premier and I attended the academy last week and I checked the figure, I found that 180 police officers were in training. In addition, about 20 Aboriginal police liaison officers were in training. Therefore, more than 200 people in total were training at the Police Academy last week when the Premier and I attended there. The issue really is this: the Government has funded the Police Service. It has given it a massive increase in funding. We have already engaged an additional 175 police officers. The Police Service is currently operating above authorised strength across the board. However, the decision on deployment - even people opposite will have to agree on this - of those officers is one for the Commissioner of Police. Now perhaps the member for Kalgoorlie would like to tell me - Mr M.J. Birney: “It’s not my fault.” Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Those opposite are putting forward a policy. Will their policy be to direct the Commissioner of Police where to put police officers? Mr M.J. Birney: Can I answer the question? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Of course that is not their policy, because they would be laughed out of town. The proposition that the member puts is simply ridiculous. All the Government can do is ensure that the police have resources and are funded to authorised strength. The fact of the matter is that, with the budget we have given the Police Service, it is currently running above authorised strength right across the board. Maybe those opposite do not have faith in the Commissioner of Police to do that job. However, I look forward to seeing a policy from them indicating that they will do anything different.
The interesting point is that, as part of the 250 police officers, we have already engaged 175 additional police officers over and above attrition. As I have said in the House before, to engage those additional 250, we will put through the Police Academy over a four-year period more than 1 000 extra officers. When the Premier and I attended the academy last week and I checked the figure, I found that 180 police officers were in training. In addition, about 20 Aboriginal police liaison officers were in training. Therefore, more than 200 people in total were training at the Police Academy last week when the Premier and I attended there. The issue really is this: the Government has funded the Police Service. It has given it a massive increase in funding. We have already engaged an additional 175 police officers. The Police Service is currently operating above authorised strength across the board. However, the decision on deployment - even people opposite will have to agree on this - of those officers is one for the Commissioner of Police. Now perhaps the member for Kalgoorlie would like to tell me - Mr M.J. Birney: “It’s not my fault.” Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Those opposite are putting forward a policy. Will their policy be to direct the Commissioner of Police where to put police officers? Mr M.J. Birney: Can I answer the question? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Of course that is not their policy, because they would be laughed out of town. The proposition that the member puts is simply ridiculous. All the Government can do is ensure that the police have resources and are funded to authorised strength. The fact of the matter is that, with the budget we have given the Police Service, it is currently running above authorised strength right across the board. Maybe those opposite do not have faith in the Commissioner of Police to do that job. However, I look forward to seeing a policy from them indicating that they will do anything different.
The issue really is this: the Government has funded the Police Service. It has given it a massive increase in funding. We have already engaged an additional 175 police officers. The Police Service is currently operating above authorised strength across the board. However, the decision on deployment - even people opposite will have to agree on this - of those officers is one for the Commissioner of Police. Now perhaps the member for Kalgoorlie would like to tell me - Mr M.J. Birney: “It’s not my fault.” Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Those opposite are putting forward a policy. Will their policy be to direct the Commissioner of Police where to put police officers? Mr M.J. Birney: Can I answer the question? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Of course that is not their policy, because they would be laughed out of town. The proposition that the member puts is simply ridiculous. All the Government can do is ensure that the police have resources and are funded to authorised strength. The fact of the matter is that, with the budget we have given the Police Service, it is currently running above authorised strength right across the board. Maybe those opposite do not have faith in the Commissioner of Police to do that job. However, I look forward to seeing a policy from them indicating that they will do anything different.
Mr M.J. Birney: “It’s not my fault.” Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Those opposite are putting forward a policy. Will their policy be to direct the Commissioner of Police where to put police officers? Mr M.J. Birney: Can I answer the question? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Of course that is not their policy, because they would be laughed out of town. The proposition that the member puts is simply ridiculous. All the Government can do is ensure that the police have resources and are funded to authorised strength. The fact of the matter is that, with the budget we have given the Police Service, it is currently running above authorised strength right across the board. Maybe those opposite do not have faith in the Commissioner of Police to do that job. However, I look forward to seeing a policy from them indicating that they will do anything different.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Those opposite are putting forward a policy. Will their policy be to direct the Commissioner of Police where to put police officers? Mr M.J. Birney: Can I answer the question? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Of course that is not their policy, because they would be laughed out of town. The proposition that the member puts is simply ridiculous. All the Government can do is ensure that the police have resources and are funded to authorised strength. The fact of the matter is that, with the budget we have given the Police Service, it is currently running above authorised strength right across the board. Maybe those opposite do not have faith in the Commissioner of Police to do that job. However, I look forward to seeing a policy from them indicating that they will do anything different.
Mr M.J. Birney: Can I answer the question? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Of course that is not their policy, because they would be laughed out of town. The proposition that the member puts is simply ridiculous. All the Government can do is ensure that the police have resources and are funded to authorised strength. The fact of the matter is that, with the budget we have given the Police Service, it is currently running above authorised strength right across the board. Maybe those opposite do not have faith in the Commissioner of Police to do that job. However, I look forward to seeing a policy from them indicating that they will do anything different.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: Of course that is not their policy, because they would be laughed out of town. The proposition that the member puts is simply ridiculous. All the Government can do is ensure that the police have resources and are funded to authorised strength. The fact of the matter is that, with the budget we have given the Police Service, it is currently running above authorised strength right across the board. Maybe those opposite do not have faith in the Commissioner of Police to do that job. However, I look forward to seeing a policy from them indicating that they will do anything different.
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