Faafoi Kris: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Urgent Questions 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Faafoi Kris: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Urgent Questions 
[Sitting date: 28 March 2013. Volume:688;Page:9059. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
4. 
KRIS FAAFOI (Labour—Mana) 
 to the  
Minister of Police 
: What specific warnings if any has the Government received from Police around service delivery in relation to line-by-line savings within personnel and asset costs? 
Hon CHESTER BORROWS (Minister for Courts) 
 on behalf of the Minister of Police: The Minister is not aware of any warnings but she is aware that advice was provided in a briefing in February 2011 in which Police said they were making changes to improve performance and eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy. These changes were delivered successfully. It also said “should Police be required to find line-by-line savings in the future there is the risk that service delivery could be impacted”. The Government has not asked Police to make such savings. In fact since then there are now 600 additional front-line officers police foot patrols were up 70 percent last year crime is at a 30-year low and we are just about to roll out 6500 smartphones and tablets which means that police will have more than half a million extra front-line police hours to invest in crime prevention every year. 
Kris Faafoi 
: I seek leave to table a briefing paper to the Minister dated 9 February 2011 where Police advise the Minister of Police that there is a risk that service delivery will be impacted if they are forced to find further savings in personnel and asset costs. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There appears to be none. It can be tabled. 








Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Kris Faafoi 
: What was the dollar increase in costs for the Police from the new collective employment agreement negotiated in June last year? 
Hon CHESTER BORROWS 
: I do not have that information with me today. I am sure the Minister will respond to any question that may be put to her when she returns. 
Kris Faafoi 
: Has the increase that is needed to meet the renegotiation of the Police collective contract been met with new funding or within Police baseline funding? 
Hon CHESTER BORROWS 
: I can say that I have not been briefed in respect of this line of questioning and cannot answer that question. 
Kris Faafoi 
: I seek leave to table a briefing paper dated again 9 February 2011 where the Police advised the Minister that wage risks beyond June 2012 have not been factored into Police forecasts and that there is a risk that police may not be able to manage those costs within existing budgets. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There appears to be none. It can be tabled. 









Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: Why did the Minister repeatedly tell me during the estimates hearing for Vote Police this year that there would be no closure of police stations when that statement made repeatedly is patently untrue and misleading? 
Hon CHESTER BORROWS 
: There are no plans to close police stations. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: If there are no plans to close police stations can the Minister please explain to me why there is a notice on the door of the Mount Albert Police Station at the moment that reads: “Closed permanently.”; why there is a notice on the police station at Blockhouse Bay that reads: “Closed permanently.”; and why in my own electorate of Mt Roskill there is a sign that reads: “Temporarily closed.” but it has been that way for a month? 
Hon CHESTER BORROWS 
: I have been advised that there have been no plans to close police stations. What I can say of course is—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! I am trying to hear. 
Hon CHESTER BORROWS 
: —that the new plans to roll out technology amongst police will mean that they will be able to work in a far more mobile way. It is not bricks and mortar that catch crooks; it is cops on the road and under this Government there are more cops on the road for longer catching crooks. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: I seek leave of the House to table a number of documents. The first is a notice on the window of the Mount Albert Police Station saying: “If you want community policing go to Ponsonby on the other side of town.” That is the first photo. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that photograph. Is there any objection? There is none. 









Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: The second photo here is from Blockhouse Bay. It has: “Yes we’re open.” on the floor and over the top of it it has got: “This station has been relocated to Mount Roskill Police Station.” I seek leave to table that. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that. Is there any objection? There appears to be none. It can be tabled. 









Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: Mr Speaker—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! A point of order is being heard; it will be heard in silence. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: Since people were referred to the Mount Roskill Police Station the third paper I seek to table is a photo on the door of the Mount Roskill Police Station saying: “This station is temporarily closed. We apologise for any inconvenience.” We have been inconvenienced for 4 weeks. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that. Is there any objection? There appears to be none. It can be so tabled. 









Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: I seek leave of the House to table a briefing to the Minister of Police which says that you have to have a network of stations to provide visibility and accessibility to the public. 
Hon Member 
: Dated? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: A question has been asked about the date of that briefing. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: Yes the date of that is 9 February 2011. 
Hon Gerry Brownlee 
: How did he come by it? 
Hon Phil Goff 
: It is a briefing for the Minister of Police—oh this Government leaks like a sieve. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! Does the member want to know how it was acquired—or is leave sought to table the document? Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: I seek leave of the House to table a corrected transcript from the estimates hearing for Vote Police. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No those transcripts are available to members. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: No they are not Mr Speaker. The transcripts of evidence are not available publicly—only to the members of the select committee as I understand it. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: If the estimates hearing has been reported the transcript will be available. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: Why did the Minister repeatedly deny at the estimates hearing that the Police budget had been cut in real terms when she knew from the briefing paper tabled by my colleague that the Police had warned the Minister of Police in that briefing document that ongoing cuts which are represented in that budget would lead to the failure of the police being able to deliver services such as keeping their police stations open? 
Hon CHESTER BORROWS 
: The Police budget has not been cut. It is over to the Police how they spend their operational funding. It could be that from time to time for instance shop-front police premises are relocated. They are not police stations. I was not giving evidence before that select committee. He will have to speak to the Minister of Police on her return. 
Kris Faafoi 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I seek leave to table a photo of the Porirua community police base taken this afternoon which is closed to cut costs. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: What proof is there that the station has been closed? 
Kris Faafoi 
: Well it is two doors down from my electorate office and it is closed. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that photo. Is there any objection? 
Hon CHESTER BORROWS 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I am dealing with a point of order. 
Hon CHESTER BORROWS 
: In respect of the point of order I was unable to hear the location of the premises— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Porirua. 
Hon CHESTER BORROWS 
: And is it a shop-front police kiosk or is it a station? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I do not think that is important to the leave. The leave has been sought. I am putting the question. Is there any objection? Yes there is.