❓ Dr. Honey questions the Minister for Police about violent attacks at train stations. The Minister responds by highlighting crime reduction statistics and accusing the opposition of poor leadership and divisive questioning.
AnsweredQoN 506Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
POLICE — VIOLENCE — TRAIN STATIONS
506. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Minister for Police:
Before I ask my question, I want to
recognise that today is R U OK? Day. I hope that all members in this chamber
are okay.
I
refer to the innocent woman who was viciously punched and kicked outside
Maylands train station in broad daylight in August, the young schoolboy
who was on his way to school when he was attacked with a hammer at Edgewater
station in the same month and the senseless attack that was reported on this
morning's front page of The West Australian . What is the minister and the Minister for
Transport doing to stop the spate of violent attacks in and around train
stations?
506. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Minister for Police:
Before I ask my question, I want to
recognise that today is R U OK? Day. I hope that all members in this chamber
are okay.
I
refer to the innocent woman who was viciously punched and kicked outside
Maylands train station in broad daylight in August, the young schoolboy
who was on his way to school when he was attacked with a hammer at Edgewater
station in the same month and the senseless attack that was reported on this
morning's front page of The West Australian . What is the minister and the Minister for
Transport doing to stop the spate of violent attacks in and around train
stations?
AnswerView source ↗
I
thank the member for his question. I have to say at the outset, assaults are
always a horrible thing, terrible to witness and something that the police are
always focused on. We always encourage the police to take the harshest possible
measures to diminish the likelihood of those incidents. However, many of them—in
particular, the three that the member referred to—are pretty much
unpredictable in the nature of the way they come about. They are individuals
behaving appallingly and often without any warning and no indication that that
type of event is about to place.
That
aside, I want to reflect a little on the nature of the member's
question and follow on from the embarrassing and pretty much very divisive and
negative grievance I received from the member for North West Central earlier
today. Leader of the Opposition, I really do implore you to consider the nature
of the contributions from your side of the house with respect to these matters.
It does no-one any good to engender division in the community around what are horrible events and things that none of us would like to see happen. The way in
which questions are asked reflects on poor leadership—poor leadership
by the Leader of the Liberal Party and poor leadership by you, Leader of the
Opposition, for allowing your member to behave the way he did this morning.
Several members interjected.
Mr P. PAPALIA : I want to
reflect on the fact that the Leader of the Liberal Party used the phrase ''the
spate of'' incidents—over a large period, a spate of three
incidents. What I can say is that the latest Western Australia Police Force crime statistics to 30 June this year show
that, overall, there has been a 22 per cent reduction in crime from the
peaks experienced under the Liberal–National government. That is
something we should reflect on when members
opposite ask these questions. There are some 65 000 fewer offences from that
peak: home burglaries are down by 48 per cent; motor vehicle theft is
down by 38 per cent; stealing is down by 37.6 per cent; and property damage
offences are down by 28 per cent. Those are all things that hurt people and
impact on the community and people's sense of wellbeing, and they are
all down significantly from the peaks that were experienced under the Liberal–National
government.
There are always these other crimes,
these offences against the individual that are horrible and deplorable, and we
should do everything we can to reduce them. What I said earlier —
The SPEAKER : Minister, I apologise,
but given the time, I am concluding question time at this point for the
prescribed lunchbreak. I anticipate seeing everyone back here at two o'clock.
Sitting suspended from 1.03 to 2.00 pm
thank the member for his question. I have to say at the outset, assaults are
always a horrible thing, terrible to witness and something that the police are
always focused on. We always encourage the police to take the harshest possible
measures to diminish the likelihood of those incidents. However, many of them—in
particular, the three that the member referred to—are pretty much
unpredictable in the nature of the way they come about. They are individuals
behaving appallingly and often without any warning and no indication that that
type of event is about to place.
That
aside, I want to reflect a little on the nature of the member's
question and follow on from the embarrassing and pretty much very divisive and
negative grievance I received from the member for North West Central earlier
today. Leader of the Opposition, I really do implore you to consider the nature
of the contributions from your side of the house with respect to these matters.
It does no-one any good to engender division in the community around what are horrible events and things that none of us would like to see happen. The way in
which questions are asked reflects on poor leadership—poor leadership
by the Leader of the Liberal Party and poor leadership by you, Leader of the
Opposition, for allowing your member to behave the way he did this morning.
Several members interjected.
Mr P. PAPALIA : I want to
reflect on the fact that the Leader of the Liberal Party used the phrase ''the
spate of'' incidents—over a large period, a spate of three
incidents. What I can say is that the latest Western Australia Police Force crime statistics to 30 June this year show
that, overall, there has been a 22 per cent reduction in crime from the
peaks experienced under the Liberal–National government. That is
something we should reflect on when members
opposite ask these questions. There are some 65 000 fewer offences from that
peak: home burglaries are down by 48 per cent; motor vehicle theft is
down by 38 per cent; stealing is down by 37.6 per cent; and property damage
offences are down by 28 per cent. Those are all things that hurt people and
impact on the community and people's sense of wellbeing, and they are
all down significantly from the peaks that were experienced under the Liberal–National
government.
There are always these other crimes,
these offences against the individual that are horrible and deplorable, and we
should do everything we can to reduce them. What I said earlier —
The SPEAKER : Minister, I apologise,
but given the time, I am concluding question time at this point for the
prescribed lunchbreak. I anticipate seeing everyone back here at two o'clock.
Sitting suspended from 1.03 to 2.00 pm
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