7. Police Resourcing—CostsCHRIS BISHOP (National—Hutt South) to the Minister of PolicePolice Resourcing—Costs7. CHRIS BISHOP (National—Hutt South) to the Minister of Police: Does he agree with the acting Prime Minister's answer on Tuesday when asked if the additional police will cost an extra $40 million yes those costs have been finalised"; if so what is the finalised cost per year of the additional 1800 police promised over the next 3 years? Hon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister of Justice) on behalf of the Minister of Police: I agree with the corrected statement as provided to the House earlier today which was that the costs have yet to be finalised. Chris Bishop: What advice even if it is indicative advice has he received from the police about the cost of the 1800 additional police numbers that he has committed to? Hon ANDREW LITTLE: This Government is committed to striving to add 1800 extra police to the current force but the costs of that are yet to be worked through and will be the basis of a Budget bid and appropriation in next year's Budget. Chris Bishop: Is he seriously expecting the House and the New Zealand public to believe that when the Acting Prime Minister says "The costs have been finalised." he hasn't received advice at all in the last three weeks he's been the Minister about what the costs of this flagship policy of the new Labour - New Zealand First coalition Government will be? Hon ANDREW LITTLE: I will say again that the new Government having committed to striving towards 1800 extra police is now in the process of working out the costs and preparing the Budget bid so that in next year's Budget an allocation will be made to add to the New Zealand Police force. Greg O'Connor: Why is the Government committed to 1800 new police? Hon ANDREW LITTLE: The police have been underfunded for the last nine years and in fact in 2016 the previous Government signed off on a four-year freeze of police numbers even though crime was rising. There has been for example an 8.3 percent increase in burglaries since last year. This Government is committed to investing in more police so we can deliver safer communities. Chris Bishop: How has he let his flagship policy get to the point where the Acting Prime Minister said on Tuesday that the cost of extra police is $40 million the actual Prime Minister said on 24 October that the cost is $100 million and the Prime Minister six days later said the cost is $80 million and finally what is the actual cost of the extra police that he is committed to with New Zealand First? Mr SPEAKER: And the Minister can answer any one of those four questions. Hon ANDREW LITTLE: I cannot speak on behalf of the variety of people that the member has just referred to but what I can say on behalf of the Minister of Police is that we are committed to striving towards 1800 extra police. The work is now being done on preparing the costings for that in the usual way that Budget bids are prepared and unlike my colleague the Minister of Finance I am not prepared to create an Advent calendar for the member as he waits until next year's Budget for that. Chris Bishop: A very simple question: why did the Prime Minister say the cost would be $40 million when he has turned up to the House today and said that the costings have yet to be worked through? Mr SPEAKER: OK I'm just going to rule that one straight out—no responsibility for the Prime Minister's statements. Chris Bishop: How frustrated is he on a scale of one to 10 with one being not much and 10 being quite a lot with his colleague Nanaia Mahuta when she forced him to backtrack on his promise to recruit cops from overseas with a special visa in order to meet his promise of 1800 extra police? Mr SPEAKER: And that question doesn't fit within the original question or the answers. Hon Members: What?Mr SPEAKER: The question is absolutely about the costings not about the recruitment from overseas."