8. Question No. 8—PoliceBRETT HUDSON (National) to the Minister of PoliceQuestion No. 8—Police8. BRETT HUDSON (National) to the Minister of Police: How does he reconcile his answer to written question No. 14509 (2018) with his answer to oral question No. 10 yesterday that we are going to meet the 1800 new police target next month" and what is the number of net new police that have been recruited since his Government took office?Hon STUART NASH (Minister of Police): Easily and with integrity and transparency.Brett Hudson: Supplementary.SPEAKER: No no—not enough yet. Answer the second part of the question.Hon STUART NASH: And 1720 recruits have started since we have been in Government.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. This member has phrased it as "net new police". That is impossible; they're either new or they're not new but they're not net new. And he should be asked to try and explain what he's asking for.SPEAKER: Well I think—Hon Gerry Brownlee: Speaking to the point of order. SPEAKER: No I don't need anyone speaking to the point of order. The phrase "net new" is one which has been canvassed widely in the last few days. And if the Minister of Police doesn't understand it it's for him to say that he doesn't understand it rather than for the Deputy Prime Minister. But I am going to require the Minister to answer the question.Hon STUART NASH: To the first part of the question easily with integrity and transparency; to the second part of the question 720 recruits have started at the Royal New Zealand Police College since we have been in Government and 1685 recruits have graduated from the Royal New Zealand Police College since we have been in Government.Brett Hudson: When has he previously made public comment about there being two different commitments to recruit 1800 police officers prior to yesterday?Hon STUART NASH: In my press release on 26 September 2019 and I quote from that: "Today's graduation means 1685 new Police constables have been deployed". And I also quote "the number of fulltime constabulary staff is 9732 … It is an increase of 893 officers". So I don't know—what's that?—three weeks ago.Brett Hudson: Can he confirm that the promise in the Speech from the Throne "This Government intends to add another 1800 new police officers." means that the Government will add 1800 officers over and above the number of sworn officers at the time they took office?Hon STUART NASH: I can't help it if that member isn't over his portfolio. And I've always been very transparent about this. So let me help him out a little bit. Let me quote from the coalition agreement—[Interruption] SPEAKER: Order! Order!Hon STUART NASH: Let me quote from the coalition agreement which the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister negotiated: "strive towards adding 1800 new police officers over three years." Let me also quote from our press release of 26 September 2019 and I quote "Today's graduation means 1685 new Police constables have been deployed".Brett Hudson: Does he stand by his statement at the 2018 Estimates hearing "I've always been very clear about this. This isn't 1800 police minus attrition; this is 1800 as well as attrition. So we've got to train around about a thousand police a year."?Hon STUART NASH: I've always been very clear about the fact that we have actually been funded for attrition.Brett Hudson: Does he agree with Police Commissioner Mike Bush who told Parliament at the annual review hearings last November "That's over and above what we had before. So that includes the people that have left. So we have an attrition of about 5.5 percent so to bring in the 1800 we are aiming to recruit about a thousand people a year to maintain our previous level but also to meet the commitment of 1800."?Hon STUART NASH: We are training about a thousand people a year and what I will say is in the last three years of the National Government numbers fell by 100; in the first two years of this Government numbers have increased by nearly 900. I think we should absolutely celebrate that fact—900 more police into our communities; it's fantastic. Brett Hudson: Was he wrong to say this to the Police Association conference last Tuesday: "we promised you 1800 new police. Now that's 1800 new police over and above the current rate not 1800 more graduates"?Hon STUART NASH: Let me make it clear once again: the coalition agreement says 1800 new police. We have delivered that; we're about to deliver that in just over two years. We have also been funded for attrition and I can't help how many police officers retire."