Nash StuartHon STUART NASH (Minister of Police): Thank you very much Mr Speaker. Well what an interesting contribution. We heard the deputy leader of the National Party have a go at Mr Little a man with incredible incredible respect and dignity and purpose and yet when her Prime Minister pulled a girl's ponytail where was she? Where was she? Did she stand up and defend that woman? No she didn't. She thought it was funny. She thought it was funny. Well I don't see any difference and that member has the audacity to stand up here and say we're not doing anything for police.Well let me tell you—let me tell you—that member is a former Minister of Police and between 2012 and 2017 the police service numbers dropped by 77.Hon Nanaia Mahuta: By how much?Hon STUART NASH: By 77. The population increased by 380000. Gang numbers increased—[Interruption] SPEAKER: Order!Hon STUART NASH: Gang numbers increased by 2000. Meth went through the roof. The only thing that dropped was the number of police in our communities—the number of police in our communities. And what's worse in the last workplace survey over 60 percent of police said they experienced an undue level of workplace stress and only 40 percent of police—only 40 percent of police—said that they were meeting the promises they made to their community. But the really good thing about the New Zealand Police service is over 80 percent of them said that they were committed to the New Zealand Police service and the communities we serve. So what we have is we have an incredibly dedicated group of men and women who are committed to our communities committed to the New Zealand Police service and who know what they need to do to keep our communities safe but they just do not have the resources. So what happened? Mr Ron Mark from New Zealand First and myself went around the country and we heard this wherever we went: people respect the police. People have the utmost respect for police but they knew that the the police weren't there in our communities like they used to be. So what happened? Enter New Zealand First and Labour: 1800 more police over three years—1800 more front-line police over three years. And that's not all: 485 back-office staff to support those 1800 police in our community.Hon Paula Bennett: But no one believes you can deliver.Hon STUART NASH: This is about delivery. This is about delivery. What we are seeing at the moment is an immense increase in the number of police going through the Royal New Zealand Police College. Every four weeks a new recruit wing starts. In fact two weeks ago the largest wing in over a decade of 100 officers started training in the New Zealand Police. Every four weeks an amazing group of men and women who have chosen a career less ordinary who want to go out there and keep our communities safe and make sure that New Zealand is the safest country in the world and cut the head off the snake that is organised crime are going to be out there keeping our communities safe. So when I hear the Opposition saying Well what are you doing about policing? Where are your targets?" I'd say to them the number one target is 1800 more police—1800 more police right throughout our community. Hon Paul Goldsmith: It's the results that count.Hon STUART NASH: And when I hear that member say—Hon Paula Bennett: Not lowering crime.Hon STUART NASH: When I hear that member say "Well the Minister of Police has dropped these operational targets." my response is it is not my job to set operational targets; it is my job to ensure that the police have the resources to keep our communities safe. It's up to the police—it's not up to politicians to set operational targets. It's up to the police and Mr Mark Mitchell knows this. He was a police officer. He worked incredibly hard to keep our communities safe and I'm sure when Mr Mitchell was a police officer if he had heard a politician say "You must do this from day to day" he would have gone "That's not your role."It is my role to give the police the resources they need to keep our communities safe and what I can say is New Zealand First and Labour heard our communities. We heard them say we need more police and we are delivering the greatest increase in the New Zealand police service ever—the greatest increase in New Zealand Police ever.Hon Paula Bennett: You should prepare better honestly. It's only five minutes—20 more to go.Hon STUART NASH: And when we come to that member's electorate and open up stations when we deliver more police to her electorate then I'm sure she'll be there saying "Well done. It's what my communities want." I just want to reiterate: 77 less police over five years; 1800 more police over three years."