Dunne Peter: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Dunne Peter: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:606;Page:4071] 
9.  
Hon PETER DUNNE (Leader—United Future) 
 to the  
Minister of Police 
: How has the disestablishment of police regions contributed to increased front-line staffing? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS (Minister of Police) 
: 
 It has not. I can inform the member that Cabinet on 19 October 1998 as noted in the Martin review directed the then commissioner to abolish four police regions cut the number of police districts from 16 to 12 and reduce the number of police staff by about 380 positions. Those cuts were directed by the National Government. 
Hon Peter Dunne 
: Is it not the case that all that has really happened in Auckland Wellington and Christchurch is that staff previously employed at the region level have simply been re-established as a second staffing tier within those police districts leaving front-line shortages as great as ever while desk jobs have multiplied? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: The police have set up service centres but I must tell the member that police numbers are growing. 
Russell Fairbrother 
: Has any consideration been given to appointing a regional commander over the three Auckland district commanders? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: The Commissioner of Police has entered into discussions with the Auckland Mayoral Forum on this issue and other areas and there is now a very good working relationship between the commissioner and the Auckland Mayoral Forum. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Does the Minister think there is any link between the shortage of 45 staff in his Counties-Manukau district and the fact that the average burglary response time in his own district has increased by 20 percent in the last year? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: The Counties-Manukau police will soon be up to numbers. All police districts throughout New Zealand— 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: You have said that for 3 years. 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: I tell the member to stop pointing and listen. Every police district is now meeting the target of responding to calls in under 24 hours compared with 8 days under National. 
Ron Mark 
: Will the appointment of a regional commander in Auckland or anywhere for that matter do anything to resolve the serious issues that face operational staff like the reported backlog of 700 years of leave owing— 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: How much? 
Ron Mark 
: —700 years of leave owing—or the fact that gangs now outnumber police by three to one— 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: How much? 
Ron Mark 
: —by three to one—or the proven inability of the Government to stamp out organised crime? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister can comment on two of those questions. 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: The Government has no plans before it to establish new regional commanders. I must say that the police are on top of the gangs in New Zealand and are doing a good job. It is about time that member supported the police instead of the gangs. 
Hon Roger Sowry 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It is grossly unfair that Mr Mark who asked that question was accused by the Minister of supporting gangs and not the police. One knows that of all the members in this House Mr Mark long before he came into this House campaigned against gangs. That sort of personal reflection against a member brings this Chamber into disrepute. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Mr Mark did not take objection to it but the member has raised a valid point of order. I ask the Minister to withdraw and apologise. 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: I withdraw and apologise. 
Dr Muriel Newman 
: Have any of the operational savings that the Minister has made been anywhere near enough to make up for the cut of over 1 percent in real core police per capita funding since Labour has been in Government; if not when does he intend to restore police funding to its proper level? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: I tell that member that the Labour Government has funded the police more than ever. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: No! 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: We most certainly have. I also tell the member that the last National Government which her party supported cut police funding. 
Marc Alexander 
: How can the Minister be so confident that the numbers of front-line staff are sufficient to protect the public when 10 out of every 12 police districts have suffered an increase in burglary response times and the aggregate number of days of leave not taken by sworn police at the end of February totalled 265901 days or just over 700 years? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: The member ought to reflect on how many police there are. Police are entitled to accumulate 66 days leave and the average is somewhere in the thirties. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: I seek leave to table two documents. The first is a document with data from the Minister of Police that shows that the average burglary waiting-time in his own police district is now 20 hours. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: The next document is in the light of the Minister’s comment that police are on top of the gangs. This is a report that shows that methamphetamine clandestine laboratory catches have increased from 40 to 140 in the last 12 months. 
Document not tabled.