1. Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE (Labour—Waimakariri) Link to this
to the Minister of Police
Does she stand by all statements she has made in relation to increasing the number of police; if so, how does she reconcile her statements with police projections that eight out of 12 police districts will have fewer constabulary employees by the end of 2011 than they had at the end of June 2009?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister of Police) Link to this
Yes, I stand by all the statements I have made. This Government is committed to putting 600 extra police officers on the front line throughout New Zealand. We have already reached our goal of putting an extra 300 officers into Counties-Manukau. In relation to the figures raised by the member, in June 2009, 11 of our 12 police districts exceeded their staff target levels. Across the country there were 83 more officers than were funded by the previous Budget. The reason for that is that the number of police officers leaving the force has dropped to its lowest level since World War II. The numbers are now moving to the funded level, and we are on target to put 600 extra police on the front line by the end of next year.
Hon Clayton Cosgrove Link to this
I seek leave to table a data table prepared by the New Zealand Police on 16 June 2010, showing that eight out of the 12 police districts will have fewer constabulary staff by the end of 2011 than they had at the end of June 2009.
Mr SPEAKER
Hilary CalvertHow does she expect to ever have sufficient police, when the local police force struggled to cope with illegal occupations in Taipā Bay and Papa Aroha, and when Ministers are heightening Māori expectations about the foreshore and seabed, and then, in the case of Minister Finlayson, telling the locals that occupations are a criminal matter and that they should call the police?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS Link to this
The matter of the Taipā Bay occupation, I understand, was dealt with very well by the police yesterday.
Hon Clayton Cosgrove Link to this
Does she stand by her statement of 29 October 2010 that “Nothing deters criminals like plenty of Police on the beat.”; if so, does she believe that the fact that the Wellington Police District will have 46 fewer police by the end of next year compared with June 2009 will actually make life easier for criminals, and less so for law-abiding Wellingtonians?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS Link to this
Yes to the first part of the question; and I can tell that member that when his Government left office in November 2008 the figure in Wellington was 789 police officers. That will be exceeded by the end of next year, in accordance with our promise.
Does the Minister consider it to be acceptable that police resources and numbers are stretched by Ministers declaring that what are clearly political problems, such as the Taipā Bay occupation, are merely policing issues?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS Link to this
The police make their own decisions on matters like Taipā Bay, and certainly I—and Ministers that I am aware of—have made no decisions about that. The police considered this to be a matter that they should be involved with, and I think that they have dealt with it.
Hon Clayton Cosgrove Link to this
Does she stand by her statement of 20 May 2010 that “Our top priority has been to increase the number of officers on the beat in our neighbourhoods,”; if so, what does she believe that Aucklanders, who will have 32 fewer police at the end of next year than they had at the end of June 2009 in the Auckland police district, will think about the way that she has prioritised their needs?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS Link to this
I believe Aucklanders will be very pleased that when this Government came to office they had 703 officers, and that at the end of next year they will have 712 officers.
Hon Clayton Cosgrove Link to this
Does she stand by her statement of 3 July 2009 that “Increasing the numbers of police will not only make police more visible and better able to respond to crime, but will be an opportunity” to model better ways of policing; if so, how does she expect the police in the Southern Police District, which will have 22 fewer police at the end of 2011 than there were in June 2009, to be able to demonstrate better policing methods to people living in that district?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS Link to this
I am sure that the people of the southern region will be thrilled to know that under this Government their police will in fact increase from 558 officers to 565 officers. Actually, that is an increase.
Hon Clayton Cosgrove Link to this
Does she stand by her statement of 12 December 2008 that “New Zealand police are being stretched too thin,”; if so, how much thinner is she willing to see the Waikato Police District be stretched, considering that papers prepared by her own department show that it will have 18 fewer police at the end of 2011 than there were in June 2009?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS Link to this
I am fully aware that Waikato is due, under the commissioner’s decision, to get further police resources. I note that when this Government came into office Waikato had 573 officers. At the end of next year it will have 598 officers. Even that member should be able to work out that that is an increase.
Hon Clayton Cosgrove Link to this
How does she reconcile her statements about increasing resources for the police with the reality reported in the September Police Association newsletter that, for example, in the words of Sergeant Kevin Stewart, the police are “attending fewer jobs due to workload and a lack of staff” and that, in the words of several other police shift supervisors, the police see “a lack of numbers on the beat as compromising safety for frontline officers.”—how does she respond to those front-line officers?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS Link to this
I would respond in this way. The previous Government took 4 years to trial the Taser. This Government came into office and got 720 Tasers out there on the front line, keeping our staff safe. I can also say this Government is putting in 600 extra police, and with anyone’s maths that is an increase.
Hon Clayton Cosgrove Link to this
I seek leave to table a data set prepared by the New Zealand Police, which shows that the third tranche of additional police promised and funded by the previous Labour Government came into force by the end of the 2008-09 financial year—the date that we are comparing against.
Hon Clayton Cosgrove Link to this
I seek leave to table page 5 of a paper prepared by the office of the Auditor-General on 16 June 2010, which quotes: “Vote Police was reduced by $20 million in 2009/10 as a result of line by line review of expenditure”.
Craig FossWe need to be little careful here. If that was advice to a select committee that has not reported yet, then that would be confidential to the committee.
Hon Clayton Cosgrove Link to this
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. This advice was noted in the transcript in public session, and it is on the record.
If it is on the record in public—[ Interruption] An interesting point has been raised, so I will hear Craig Foss.
Regardless of the fact that it was mentioned or not in public session, as I understand it, if that document is confidential to the committee, then it is a committee document. It is outside the Standing Orders to refer to it in public anyway, and it seems that the member intends to breach the Standing Orders by breaching the confidence of the committee. Until a report comes to the House about that annual report, then that is a committee document.
Well, a very interesting issue has arisen. I accept that absolutely. I am a little loath to rule on it without checking further, so probably what I am best advised to do is to take the member’s word and leave it to the wisdom of the House.
Hon Clayton Cosgrove Link to this
I can assist you, seriously. This is not a financial review. This is advice regarding the estimates, which was in public session. The advice was in public session and the quote was noted in public session.