11. Police—Liquor Licensing of Clubs and ResourcesCHRIS BISHOP (National—Hutt South) to the Minister of PolicePolice—Liquor Licensing of Clubs and Resources11. CHRIS BISHOP (National—Hutt South) to the Minister of Police: Is he satisfied Police are using their resources effectively to target crime prevention; if not why not?Hon STUART NASH (Minister of Police): Yes I support our police 100 percent. I wish that member would also.Chris Bishop: Ha ha! Is it a good use of police resources to oppose liquor licence applications for Wellington bowling clubs which in the case of the Whitby Bowling Club has not had a single liquor licence issue in 40 years?Hon STUART NASH: That is actually an operational matter and as that member would know I actually have no ability to direct police in the use of their resources. But what I would say as I understand it Wellington police are working better to understand the reason why some clubs are seeking licences that in some instances run for 17 hours from 8 a.m. in the morning to 1 a.m. the next morning for seven days a week—that's all.Chris Bishop: Is it correct that police have research that shows licensed clubs accounted for virtually zero issues over a five-year period in the Wellington district; and don't the police have better things to do than shake down bowls clubs bridge clubs and tennis clubs?Hon STUART NASH: Police are not shaking down bowls clubs whatever clubs and tennis clubs.Virginia Andersen: What is the Minister doing to ensure the New Zealand Police service is resourced effectively?Hon STUART NASH: It is this Government's priority to ensure that police are fully resourced especially when one considers there were 72 fewer officers at the end of financial year 2018 compared to the same time in 2012. We are correcting this. We provided an additional $300 million in Budget 2018 to start the process of delivering 1800 more front-line officers and 485 back-office staff over three years.Chris Bishop: What does he say to Newtown Bowling Club secretary Lorraine Brennan who said We need the police to advise us not bully us." and prominent Wellington resident Paul Eagle who said "Rather than targeting clubs or making them feel like easy targets they should be looking to have a wider conversation with sports clubs." [Interruption] SPEAKER: Order! Order! The member is going to resume his seat. Mr Bishop's going to ask the question and he or his team have three additional supplementaries because of the interjections.Chris Bishop: What does he say to Newtown Bowling Club secretary Lorraine Brennan who said "We need the police to advise us not bully us." and prominent Wellington resident Paul Eagle who said "Rather than targeting clubs"—ha ha excuse me—"or making them feel like easy targets they should be looking to have a wider conversation with sports clubs."?Hon STUART NASH: I agree with the member from Ōhāriu when he said there were two sides to every story and police are actually in the process of talking with and consulting with these bowling clubs in the first place.Chris Bishop: What steps if any is he taking to stop police wasting resources opposing licences for well-known places of ill repute like the Wellington Bridge Club the Island Bay Tennis and Squash Club and the Whitby Bowling Club and can he confirm to the House that the next on his target list is not happy hours at rest homes? [Interruption] SPEAKER: Before I call the member—because we've had exactly the same offence from the Opposition the extra supplementaries are now withdrawn.Hon STUART NASH: I would assume that the people from the Whitby Bowling Club would be horrified to hear that member call them a place of ill repute."