Andersen Ginny; Mitchell Mark; Tuiono TeanauHon GINNY ANDERSEN (Labour): Thank you very much Mr Chair. I just have one more question on the Firearms Safety Authority. One example from overseas where it was moved away from Police into another department was Canada and it did not work so well there. I just want some reassurance or commitment from the Minister—if Nicole McKee as the responsible Minister for that makes decisions in relation to Te Tari Pūreke and if he has real concerns about the front-line safety of officers particularly in relation to getting real-time intelligence in relation to firearms will he make a commitment to step up and speak out? Will he speak out if he has concerns about decisions being taken by the Associate Minister that may potentially endanger not only front-line officers but our community?Hon MARK MITCHELL (Minister of Police): Well that's my job. I mean I'm glad that the member highlights Canada because you know I would expect and I'll make sure that officials are looking at that so that if there's lessons to be learnt from what Canada have done we should be adopting and looking at those. But I just come back to the fact and just say to her and give her a commitment that in terms of the way firearms are treated and dealt with in this country this Government is committed to making our country a safer country. And a big part of that is the way that firearms are dealt with and my commitment is to make sure—police have got a big role in that—that the police continue to have the ability to collect and have access to the intelligence and the information that they need to be effective to keep the public safe and to keep our front-line police officers safe.Hon GINNY ANDERSEN (Labour): Thank you very much Mr Chair. Just in relation to recruitment and retaining police police are able to take 10 wings consisting of around 80 recruits per year. I'd just like to get the Minister's view. Is he concerned about the first two wings of the 500 new front-line police officers—that wing 376 only had 58 recruits and then wing 377 just had 61 recruits? What does this do to the forecast date for when that 500 new police officers will be reached?Hon MARK MITCHELL (Minister of Police): Well our commitment hasn't changed. We've committed to delivering 500 new sworn front-line police officers in two years. And look the Police is doing some great work around the country in terms of recruiting. The one thing that they're very clear about—and I fully support them—is that there will not be any reduction in standards. The quality of our police force reflects the quality of our recruits and police officers. But look there's some very good work going around the country. I was in Gisborne a couple of months ago. They've got a young constable there who is working with the schools in identifying year 12 and 13 students that they can get alongside of give the training give them the skills that they need to enter and enjoy a rewarding career in our New Zealand police service. And the most recent graduations that I've been at Gisborne is constantly having four or five constables there. So there's some outstanding work being done around the country and I'm confident that solutions will appear in terms of delivering those 500 additional police officers.CHAIRPERSON (Teanau Tuiono): More questions?Hon GINNY ANDERSEN (Labour): Mr Chair if there's no one else—just being fair. Thank you very much Mr Chair. In relation to gangs over the past six years police have prevented an estimated $6.7 billion of social harm. I'm interested to know if he has done any modelling into the estimated amount of social harm that police will prevent as a result of the changes outlined in the Government's coalition agreement.Hon MARK MITCHELL (Minister of Police): Thank you Mr Chair. Well look I've been given a good crack of answering a lot of these questions that are looking forward not looking back over the review period. But in the spirit of what this is meant to be about—and that is transparency and trying to give the best possible answers that we can—I have been answering those questions. But that question that the member just asked is projected forward not back. I would recognise and agree with you that the police do an outstanding job of reducing social harm and I have no doubt—and my expectations moving forward in this term of Government—that as we free up their resource as we actually give them more tools as we give them the ability to be able to dig even deeper into those issues then we'll continue to see very strong results.CHAIRPERSON (Teanau Tuiono): Just to support the committee I'll get members to reflect on Speaker's ruling 147/2 and that is around when we do have future-focus questions that they've got to be about progress against the strategic intentions of the plans and intentions of those organisations and those strategic intentions are of course the annual review.