10. Police—Authorised Officers Front-line Officers and Volunteer Rural ConstabularyCHRIS BISHOP (National—Hutt South) to the Minister of PolicePolice—Authorised Officers Front-line Officers and Volunteer Rural Constabulary10. CHRIS BISHOP (National—Hutt South) to the Minister of Police: Does he stand by his answer to Oral Question No. 10 yesterday in relation to new police that all 1800 work on the front line"?Hon STUART NASH (Minister of Police): Absolutely.Chris Bishop: How many of the 1800 extra police will be able to respond to family violence call outs burglaries and assaults?Hon STUART NASH: It depends how many are on duty at the time.Chris Bishop: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It was a very direct very straight non-political question and I think it deserves better than that trifling answer.SPEAKER: Well the member asked a question; he got a response. It was within the Standing Orders. The member doesn't have to like the answer but he can follow it up with further supplementaries.Chris Bishop: Is he saying an authorised officer—for example a police forensic accountant as he mentioned on Tuesday—could be deployed to arrest perpetrators of family violence and burglary?Hon STUART NASH: Authorised officers have specific powers under the Policing Act 2008 section 24. Authorised officers investigate complex electronic or financial crimes. They tackle money-laundering terrorist financing and other serious crimes. This is very much front-line crime-fighting in 21st century policing.Priyanca Radhakrishnan: What are the new qualities and skills that the New Zealand Police are looking for from these new front-line officers?Hon STUART NASH: We need a police service that is fit for the 21st century and the increasing transnational and cyber nature of organised crime. For example the dark web is the front line for some areas of organised crime. We need police officers with highly sought-after skills in cyber crime and forensic accounting. We need police officers who can investigate money-laundering terrorist financing and other serious offences. This is very definitely front-line crime-fighting in 21st century policing.Chris Bishop: Is he now asking New Zealanders to accept that people working in back offices on forensic accounting who don't have the power to arrest offenders by themselves are front-line police officers?Hon STUART NASH: Mr Bishop I think your definition of "front-line police officers" is a little bit 20th century. Mr Bishop can I please—Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I think it would be appropriate if the answer was addressed to the Chair—in this case the Speaker.SPEAKER: Well the member was mentioning the member but he at least was making his comments in my direction and I regard that as good enough.Hon Gerry Brownlee: No he wasn't. He was looking over there again.SPEAKER: He might have after he started. He started his question appropriately and he will now start again replying to the supplementary.Hon STUART NASH: Thank you Mr Speaker. We are delivering 1800 more police officers than that Government delivered in seven years. Let me quote the Labour - New Zealand First coalition agreement: "Law and order: Strive towards adding 1800 new Police officers over three years and commit to a serious focus on combating organised crime and drugs." This is exactly what I am doing.Chris Bishop: Is it cheaper or more expensive to train and hire an authorised officer relative to a sworn police officer?Hon STUART NASH: There is a vast range of skills that 21st century policing needs. There are a number of sworn officers who need to go through the 16-week training at the Royal New Zealand Police College and then there are other authorised officers who will have very specific skills around 21st century crime-fighting. That does not mean that one is front line and the other isn't. This is front-line 21st century policing.Chris Bishop: I'll ask the Minister again because he didn't even address that—SPEAKER: Order! That was just a reflection on me. If he didn't address it he would have been told to do it. He did address it and the member is lucky. He can ask his question again if he wants to but I'm making it clear that it is an additional question. He's using another supplementary.Chris Bishop: Thank you Mr Speaker. Is it cheaper or more expensive to train and hire an authorised officer relative to a sworn police officer?Hon STUART NASH: It really depends on their skills.Chris Bishop: Will he be counting the members of the volunteer rural constabulary—or "vigilante cops" as some have called them—as part of his 1800 extra sworn police officers?SPEAKER: Order! I'm going to give the member an opportunity to rephrase his question without the offensive comment to volunteers in New Zealand rural areas.Chris Bishop: Will he be counting members of the volunteer rural constabulary as mooted in the Labour - New Zealand First coalition agreement as part of his 1800 extra sworn front-line police officers?Hon STUART NASH: No."