8. Police—Increase in Sworn StaffCHRIS BISHOP (National—Hutt South) to the Minister of PolicePolice—Increase in Sworn Staff8. CHRIS BISHOP (National—Hutt South) to the Minister of Police: Does he stand by his statement last November that his Government will be hiring 1800 sworn police officers; if so why did he tell The Nation this weekend that not all 1800 officers will be sworn police officers?Hon STUART NASH (Minister of Police): Yes I stand by my statement and since last November the New Zealand Police have provided me with more advice around the 1100 community officers and 700 officers in the organised crime squads. This Labour - New Zealand First Government has always been clear that we are striving to deliver 1800 new police officers over three years. That Mr Bishop is 920 more officers than the previous Government promised in Budget 2017.Chris Bishop: Why has he spent the last six months talking big about 1800 extra sworn police officers when it turns out the Government is actually only going to fund 1100 front-line officers and 250 non-sworn authorised officers?Hon STUART NASH: Well first of all your figures are wrong. But the member does seem confused. Let me—Chris Bishop: That's what you said—that's what you said on The Nation.Hon STUART NASH: An authorised officer is considered a sworn officer in all stats by this Government and the previous Government but they're more clearly understood as a front-line officer. For example a police forensic accountant or a police electronic crime investigator can have the power to arrest a person take finger prints search a person and execute a court warrant. The one power they do not have is the power to stop a vehicle. What they will be stopping is methamphetamine and other illicit substances being traded through international shipping networks and cyber networks such as the dark web.Chris Bishop: Why did he say on The Nation that it hasn't been completely decided what the mix of front-line and non - front-line police will be when the Budget is under two weeks away and decisions should have been locked away weeks ago and does this explain why he didn't take any papers to Cabinet or Cabinet committee in the first three months of this year?Hon STUART NASH: I'll reiterate what I said on the The Nation. The member seems confused. The allocation between community officers and those in the organised crime squads hasn't been determined—Hon Simon Bridges: But we did that—we did that.Hon STUART NASH: —but what we're thinking at the moment is around about 1100 community officers and around about 700 in organised crime squads. So the organised squads Mr Bridges are those men and women who are out there fighting crime on the front line. In fact the member will be very interested to know that the new organised crime squad in Tauranga has just busted a serious crime ring that was responsible for spreading and distributing synthetic cannabis into Auckland and up and down the country. These—SPEAKER: Order! Order! The member's been going on for far too long. Rt Hon Winston Peters: Is this the most dramatic increase in police numbers since 2005-08 the last time Labour and New Zealand First were involved in getting police numbers up?Hon STUART NASH: That member is dead right. The last time the police received any new numbers was when Labour and New Zealand First had a coalition agreement to increase new numbers. Thank you very much New Zealand First.Chris Bishop: Well following on from that question from the Deputy Prime Minister can he confirm the extra 383 cops on the beat since he became Minister were all funded through National's 2017 Safer Communities package?Hon STUART NASH: What I can say is that we are striving—[Interruption]. What I can say is that there are about 400 officers who leave the service every single year so to deliver on our 1800 we need to train about 1000 new officers a year just to replace churn. We are striving very hard to deliver 1800 more. This is as the Deputy Prime Minister mentioned—SPEAKER: All right. OK—OK. Hon STUART NASH: —the largest increase in police numbers—SPEAKER: Order!Hon STUART NASH: —ever. SPEAKER: Order! I just say to Mr Nash when he sees that I'm on my feet he will resume his seat. He doesn't deliberately look away like a naughty child.Hon STUART NASH: Oh for goodness' sake! Stop that—I reject that.SPEAKER: The member will stand withdraw and apologise.Hon STUART NASH: I stand withdraw and apologise. I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I do not—you know I find it objectionable that you would stand there and compare me to a naughty child. I take personal offence to that.SPEAKER: Well Mr Nash it is my experience of naughty children that when they see their parents have observed them doing something they shouldn't do—I was on my feet; you saw I was on my feet and you after that looked away and continued to speak. That in my opinion deserves that sort of approach.Hon STUART NASH: Well I disagree.SPEAKER: Well the member might want to disagree and the National Party will have an additional two supplementary questions for the interjection while I was on feet—again. Greg O'Connor: What assurances has the Minister received from the Commissioner of Police about the capacity to deliver on this coalition agreement commitment?Hon STUART NASH: The Commissioner of Police has given many assurances most recently in the select committee for the Police financial review that Police were on track to recruit train and deploy. It is anticipated that around 400 officers will leave the service during the average year. We are planning for this attrition with a target of around 1000 new recruits to be trained each year in order to meet our commitments.Chris Bishop: Can he guarantee to the House that entry standards and police training standards will not drop under his watch as part of the drive for 1800 extra sworn front-line officers?Hon STUART NASH: Yes.