Worth Richard: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
Worth Richard: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
[Volume:627;Page:22210] 
Dr RICHARD WORTH (National—Epsom) 
: 
 Members are speaking at the moment in connection with the appropriations debate and it is perhaps interesting to reflect on why we are doing all this. The reason is that the Crown cannot spend money levy taxes or raise loans without the authority of Parliament. So in the course of the parliamentary financial cycle a number of pieces of legislation are passed through Parliament to provide the support for funding and maintain the system of democracy as we know it here. Appropriations are of course made for specific purposes and are grouped into votes. I will follow the previous speaker by speaking about Vote Police and I do that in the context of the responsibilities I have in the National Party for justice. 
The previous speaker has said that we do not feel safe on our streets and in our communities. That is in marked contrast to the position that this Government has taken. The Minister of Police Mr Hawkins has made it clear on a number of occasions that he considers the police are fabulously well resourced. I recall him stating on 3 February 2005 in answer to a question in this debating chamber “… the police are well resourced.” and he was to repeat that line some 12 days later when in a second answer to a parliamentary question he stated: “The commissioner and I often talk about resources and he is very pleased with what I get him.” The Minister was again to reaffirm the Government’s position when he stated in answer to a question asked on 4 May 3 months later: “I am satisfied that the police are very well resourced under this Government …”. Well that is absolute nonsense! One need only to look by way of comparison at the ratio of population per police officer in countries similar to our own to see that New Zealand is critically starved of front-line police officers. 
Darren Hughes 
: Give us the exact number that National proposes. 
Dr RICHARD WORTH 
: I am going to give the exact numbers by way of comparison in a number of countries. 
Before I do that though when we are talking about front-line police—and as the Government member knows National has made a commitment to increase the number of front-line police—we need to define exactly what we are talking about. When we are talking about front-line police we are talking about police officers in police cars and detectives in the front line. These are the ratios. In France for example the ratio of population per police officer is 255:1 in Scotland it is 321:1 in England and Wales it is 393:1 in Australia it is 427:1 in the United States of America it is 438:1 in Canada it is 531:1 and in New Zealand it is 554:1. What will happen is that by including additional sworn police staff in the 2005 Budget New Zealand’s population to police ratio will decrease from 554:1 to 544:1. Of the countries that I have just used as an example our percentage is the worst. Yet we have a brave and some would say foolish Minister stating that the police are well resourced: “The commissioner and I often talk about resources and he is very pleased with what I get him.” Finally he stated: “I am satisfied that the police are very well resourced under this Government …”. What a load of nonsense that is! That is why no doubt the Police Association is calling for 10000 sworn officers by 2010. 
One of the things that has happened in the context of police funding is that tagged funding has occurred. Government members may be interested to know if they are wide awake enough to listen that the tagged funding has done nothing substantial—nothing significant—and nothing at all to increase the numbers of front-line police officers. We have seen increases in tagged funding so that at Auckland airport the number of police officers has dramatically increased. That is a response to treaty obligations which New Zealanders have accepted but it has done nothing to increase the number of front-line police. 
National’s pledge is to substantially increase the number of front-line police officers. That we are capable of doing that we will do and that we will fund.