Ryall Tony: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Ryall Tony: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:621;Page:16887] 
7.  
Hon TONY RYALL (National—Bay Of Plenty) 
 to the  
Minister of Police 
: What assurances has he received that the New Zealand Police is actively investigating all aspects of crime? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN (Acting Minister of Police) 
: 
 I have been assured that the New Zealand Police is producing very positive results from the current crime and crash reduction strategies that by their very nature range widely across all major crime types. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Why have some police been ordered not to hunt for clandestine laboratories making the drug P? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: Firstly that is completely and utterly not true. Secondly in the calendar year 2003 202 laboratories were put out of action and in the calendar year 2004—in just a few months of this year—153 laboratories have been busted. That is hardly the sort of thing that happens if someone had been ordered not to do it. 
Moana Mackey 
: What results are the police achieving as a result of the emphasis on crime and crash reduction? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: The Government has raised the police budget to over $1 billion and there are now more staff than ever before. As a result there has been a drop in recorded crime of 6.5 percent per 10000 head of population we have seen the highest resolution rates—of 45 percent—in 20 years and we have the lowest October road toll figure since monthly recording began in 1965. That is due to the good work of this very good Government and of our great police force. 
Dr Muriel Newman 
: How can the public have confidence that the New Zealand Police is adequately investigating all areas of crime when its administration ignored the warnings about serious problems with the emergency services until a tragedy occurred when senior detectives are being forced to issue traffic tickets instead of investigating methamphetamine crime and when five police officers have now been hung out to dry by a Prime Minister who was happy to speed to a rugby game? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: There are three questions there and I will answer two of them. The first point is that we did not ignore the warnings; in fact the number in the communication centres went up by 18. The fact of the matter is that the police see a range of policing as important to reduce crime including the issuing of tickets for traffic offences. 
Marc Alexander 
: Is the Minister satisfied that the police are at least investigating all violent crime in light of the fact that they have identified 87 links to past crimes including murder and sexual assault through taking retrospective DNA samples from prison inmates; or does he think that is all terribly unfair on those inmates—a position argued by the Greens who continue to place the interests of criminals over victims and who vote accordingly?  
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: The police are doing a fabulous job as far as investigating and completing the work on violent crime is concerned but of course like everyone else they can do better. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: If no such instructions have been given then who is the public to believe: a police spokesperson in Wellington or the front-line officers battling the evil of the drug-dealing gangs; and why would so many officers be saying that is happening if it is not? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: Peter Marshall the assistant commissioner of police has said that he would caution the public to be wary of unsourced commentaries supposedly downplaying methamphetamine. He said that quite frankly it is a nonsense to allude to unwritten orders. I think that member would be very concerned about rumours that there were unwritten orders that the Leader of the Opposition should stay away from Parliament because he is not up to the job. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No that last comment was unnecessary. The member will withdraw and apologise. 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: I withdraw and apologise. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: I seek leave to table two media reports identifying people who confirm the nature of that police advice. 
Documents by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: I seek leave to table a media release from the office of the Commissioner of Police about that subject. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.