9. Question No. 9—PoliceCHRIS BISHOP (National—Hutt South) to the Minister of PoliceQuestion No. 9—Police9. CHRIS BISHOP (National—Hutt South) to the Minister of Police: Does he stand by all his statements?Hon STUART NASH (Minister of Police): Yes. Chris Bishop: Does he stand by his statement that men going through a sort of mid-life crisis" should possibly pass "a certain sort of test to legally ride powerful motorcycles"; and if so what steps will he be taking to take this idea forward?Hon STUART NASH: I was commenting on the fact that in 1986 ninety people under the age of 24 died in motorcycle accidents and about six over the age of 40 did whereas in 2016 six people under the age of 24 died in motorcycle accidents and about 38 over the age of 50 did. This was actually backed up by a number of riders who said "Yeah this is what's happening. A whole lot of old guys are riding motorbikes and they don't know how to control them."SPEAKER: Order! As long as the member's not suggesting someone over 50 is old.Chris Bishop: Why did he say in October that his promise of 1800 additional new police was on track when only 329 new police were added between 1 November 2017 and 1 November 2018?Hon STUART NASH: That member uses statistics like a drunk man uses a lamp post: for support and not illumination.Chris Bishop: No answer; just abuse. Why did he say that he would count the extra 1800 new police from the date the Labour-led Government took office and then try and claim last week that he would actually count them from June 2017 during the former Government's time in office? Hon STUART NASH: I have always been very clear about this. The 1800 new officers promised by the Labour - New Zealand First Government—and I thank New Zealand First for helping us to get this across the line—was always about taking the national 880 over four years being a hell of a lot more aspirational adding 920 and going to 1800. Of those we've graduated in that cohort they have all graduated since we've been in Government—and I've been to every single graduation except one—but the funding for that started in the July 2017 period. I've always been very clear about that. Ginny Andersen: Does the Minister stand by his statements that the standard of police recruits will remain high under this Government?Hon STUART NASH: Yes there is a significant drive to get quality and diverse men and women into the New Zealand police service. For example the latest police recruit video has reached in excess of 4.3 million people. Of the applicants received since this video screened 62 percent have either been female Māori Asian or Pasifika and overall we have had 2770 people start the application process to become a police officer in the New Zealand police service.Chris Bishop: Why did he recently claim that the $300 million appropriated to Vote Police in the 2018 Budget provided for 1800 extra front-line police when the official police advice to him is that $515 million over four years is required to achieve that—i.e. a gap of $250 million?Hon STUART NASH: We are on course to deliver 1800 more police over three years. And the thing I don't quite get is of the recruits that we have already put out there 122 have gone into the Wellington region alone. I would have thought that member would be backing the New Zealand police like we do on this side of the House."