12. Question No. 12—PoliceHon MARK MITCHELL (National—Whangaparāoa) to the Minister of PoliceQuestion No. 12—Police12. Hon MARK MITCHELL (National—Whangaparāoa) to the Minister of Police: Does she stand by her statement in terms of what I am delivering as Police Minister … our people feel safer"; if so why?Hon POTO WILLIAMS (Minister of Police): Yes because this Government has a strong track record of backing our police as I outlined for the member yesterday. In addition to that since we came to Government we have also increased the police budget by more than 35 percent after it had been essentially frozen for nine years; we've graduated 3145 recruits from the Royal New Zealand Police College after police numbers had fallen over a number of years; and we've set aside funding in Budget 2022 to ensure that there is one police officer for every 480 New Zealanders to ensure police numbers never fall again.Hon Mark Mitchell: Why did she tell the House on 3 May in response to questions on ram raids "I am confident the police are taking action by launching the new retail crime unit" when the police stated yesterday that the new retail crime unit does not specifically investigate ram raids?SPEAKER: No. Order! Order! Can the member do something which relates either to the question or the answer. One of the disadvantages of the question methods used by the leaders of the two parties that ask these questions is it gives them a broad opportunity to ask supplementaries but I think it's important that the member ties his supplementary into the original question. I'll let the member have another go at it.Hon Mark Mitchell: Well Mr Speaker just seeking some guidance: you're right the primary question is broad and it relates to public safety.SPEAKER: No no; it's actually relatively narrow. It's not a general policing question. Have another go. It's not hard for the member to relate it.Hon Mark Mitchell: Why did the Minister tell the House on 3 May that she delivered a response to ram raids with the formation of the new retail crime unit when the police stated yesterday that the new retail crime unit does not specifically investigate ram raids?SPEAKER: No. Well the member just asked the same question again. The question is about people feeling safer or the "whys" which the member could've very easily picked something up out of what the Minister said. So the member's used one supplementary; he can another go if he wants to—but he's used one already.Hon Mark Mitchell: Sorry Mr Speaker. I do want to seek some guidance on this. The primary question—[Interruption]SPEAKER: Order! Order! It's the right of members to have a point of order; generally it's not the right to have a tutorial. But when people are asking me a question I don't expect raucous backbenchers to interrupt.Chris Bishop: Point of order Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: Well no. I've dealt with that; we've got one point of order on the floor now from Mr Mitchell. I'll deal with that one first.Hon Mark Mitchell: Well I'll concede to—SPEAKER: Well if the member's doing that he's going to lose his opportunity to ask his one.Hon Mark Mitchell: OK; I'll ask my one first then. Mr Speaker it's very clear in my primary question to the Minister that I'm talking about delivery as police Minister. My supplementary question quite simply talks about delivery. It's very specific. It talks about how she made a statement in this House on 3 May responding to questions around ram raids—SPEAKER: OK. Right. The member will resume his seat. It's very clear from the question that the member has qualified it by the second part of the quote. A further point of order Chris Bishop.Chris Bishop: Well Mr Speaker perhaps I'll try and be helpful. We had exactly the same primary question yesterday and we had a whole series of exchanges around ram raids and it's exactly the same primary today with exactly the same line of questioning. So I think—SPEAKER: Yes. And the member if he looks really carefully he can have a look at the answer. The supplementary questions can relate to the primary question or to the answer. Supplementary question Mark Mitchell.Hon Mark Mitchell: Can I start again Mr Speaker?SPEAKER: You can but you're on your second one.Hon Mark Mitchell: What police unit is specifically responsible for ram raids?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: The whole of police—SPEAKER: I'm going to let it go because I'm so frustrated.Hon POTO WILLIAMS: I'm quite prepared to address the issue that Mr Mitchell raised earlier. The police are responsive to all the demands that come their way regardless of whether they're ram raids or burglaries or other crime. So it is an all-of-police response. In relation to the question that he asked about the delivery in terms of the work that the police have currently under way I want to point to two things. The first thing I want to point to is Operation Pryor which has been operating since November in the Waikato and has made over 160 arrests around the issue of ram raids. I also want to point to the development and the launch of the national retail crime unit which was also in November which is assisting police in their development of a programme to speak to a very targeted issue which is ram raids and how police can support small business to feel secure in their operation of their business.Hon Mark Mitchell: Why did—[Interruption] Sorry.SPEAKER: The member's only had one supplementary so far—one that counts.Hon Mark Mitchell: Why did the Minister on 3 May say that the newly formed retail crime unit was responsible for ram raids?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: The retail crime unit is responsible to support the police in the development working alongside Retail New Zealand to ensure that small businesses who have found it very difficult over the last couple of years are able to operate safely.Golriz Ghahraman: On delivering for public safety is the Minister confident that the training of the armed offenders squad (AOS) is adequate and if so what is her response to the High Court finding just yesterday that the AOS officer who shot Iriheke Pere whilst handcuffed had received—this is a quote—no "one on one training … had not been inducted … had not had any mentoring … [and] There was no training plan in place for him"?SPEAKER: Yeah no. The police Minister is not responsible for that judgment and again it's one which was not properly tied in. Although there was a more nimble attempt to tie it into the primary question it was not a successful one.Hon Poto Williams: Mr Speaker—SPEAKER: No. No.Hon Poto Williams: —I am prepared to address the question—SPEAKER: Well the Minister might be prepared to address it but I've already ruled it out.Chris Bishop: Point of order Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: No. Well I hope it doesn't relate to what I've just ruled.Chris Bishop: Well I was just going to encourage the Government to seek leave for the Minister to answer the question.SPEAKER: Well the member knows that that's disorderly. [Interruption] No the member will stand withdraw and apologise.Chris Bishop: I withdraw and apologise.SPEAKER: That concludes oral questions.Hon Mark Mitchell: Supplementary.SPEAKER: No. The member's had his supplementaries. I mean if the member can't count to three that's not brilliant."