11. Police Resourcing—Numbers and FundingSTUART NASH (Labour—Napier) to the Minister of PolicePolice Resourcing—Numbers and Funding11. STUART NASH (Labour—Napier) to the Minister of Police: Why did the Government provide 285 fewer sworn police and $167 million less funding than Police themselves said they needed to change the trajectory of rising crime"?Hon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister for Children) on behalf of the Minister of Police: Over the course of several months Police developed three proposals for funding: a high-end best case a middle value one and a low-end proposal. After careful consideration of all options the Minister decided in January to recommend to Cabinet the proposal that would see 1125 new staff for the Police at a cost of $503 million.Stuart Nash: Can she confirm that Police stated in that second case in its 21 December briefing that given fewer than 1000 cops over 4 years there would be "limited additional crime prevention capacity"; if so what message does she think her Police package sends to dairy owners getting robbed and assaulted?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: I am sorry Mr Speaker. I just missed the end of that question.Mr SPEAKER: I will invite the member to repeat the question again.Stuart Nash: Can she confirm that Police stated in that second base case in its 21 December briefing that given fewer than 1000 police over 4 years there would be "limited additional crime prevention capacity"; if so what message does she think her Police package sends to dairy owners getting robbed and assaulted?Mr SPEAKER: Again there are two questions there. The Minister can address one supplementary question.Hon ANNE TOLLEY: I am unable to confirm the first question that the member asked. But what I can say to the House is that those papers have all been public since 10 April so it is good that the member has actually read them through.Stuart Nash: What impact will Police receiving less than 75 percent of funding for their one Budget bid for Budget 2017 have on Police capacity and resourcing?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: In my reply to the primary question I stated that the Police actually put several scenarios and that is quite normal. In fact most agencies always ask for more money than they actually end up getting in the Budget. However what I can say to the member is that the Police and the Minister worked very carefully together to decide where the need was and what was required to meet that need and that was all in the eventual package that Cabinet passed and was in this Budget. That is a significant investment in policing in New Zealand.Stuart Nash: Is the Minister aware that in the original business case put forward by the then police Minister Judith Collins there was actually only one proposal and that was for 1165 police and $555 million over 4 years?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: As I say throughout a Budget process I can assure that member figures and needs and wants change quite dramatically as all those are weighed up against the requests from other agencies. In the end we have ended up with a significant investment in policing at a cost of half a billion dollars which is a significant investment in keeping New Zealanders safe.Stuart Nash: Does she stand by her statements at select committee on Tuesday that part of the problem with dairy robberies is that there is not enough being done in the court system; if so has she discussed this with Amy Adams?Mr SPEAKER: Again there are two supplementary questions. The Minister can address one.Hon ANNE TOLLEY: I am absolutely certain that she stands by the statements she made in the select committee.Stuart Nash: When robberies are up by 24 percent in the Auckland districts over the past 12 months is paying $1.8 million to dairy owners to help fund security systems an admission that police can no longer keep dairy owners safe?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: No.Stuart Nash: Supplementary.Mr SPEAKER: No. Sorry on this occasion the Labour caucus has used all of its questions today."