Electronic monitoring
78. Mr Adam Hort to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the decision by the Commissioner of Corrective Services, communicated to the Commissioner of Police on 11 April 2025, regarding electronic monitoring.
Is the minister aware of a letter from the Commissioner of Corrective Services to the Commissioner of Police clearly stating that the Department of Justice can no longer support or recommend the use of electronic monitoring in any location other than the Perth metropolitan area?
Mr Reece Whitby replied:
I thank the member for Kalamunda for the question. It gives me the opportunity to respond to the member by saying that Western Australians are safer because of these laws and because of this technology. That is the starting point we must acknowledge: Western Australians are safer.
All people with electronic monitoring, including in our regions, are monitored 24/7 by Department of Justice officials working side by side with WA police at the State Operations Command Centre across the state. I can assure members that across Western Australia, all breaches are responded to by police 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Point of order
Mr Liam Staltari: The minister was asked specifically about a letter, which he has failed to cite at all in his answer so far.
The Speaker: Thank you, member. I will not uphold that point of order.
Several members interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition!
Mr Roger Cook interjected.
The Speaker: Premier!
Several members interjected.
The Speaker: Have you finished—both of you? Thank you. There is no point of order. I will not uphold that point of order. The minister is only just getting into his response and he can answer in his own way. Carry on, minister.
Questions without notice resumed
Mr Reece Whitby: Thank you, Mr Speaker, but I want to follow your new directive of being short and concise as well.
These laws are the strongest in the nation. They have been in place for only a few months. I would encourage the opposition to actually get behind them and support them, because they are making Western Australians safer. What we do not want is that mob over there undermining and scaring the members of the community about what is an effective way of monitoring these people.
Several members interjected.
The Speaker: Members! Members of the opposition!
Mr Reece Whitby: What I would like to see is less politics, less scaremongering, less undermining and some support for good policy.
Ms Libby Mettam interjected.
Mr Reece Whitby: Hello; Vasse has woken up! Good to hear from you.
79. Mr Adam Hort to the Minister for Police:
I have a supplementary question. Has the minister been briefed by the Commissioner of Police on corrections' decision and, if so, when?
The Speaker: Firstly, you cannot have two parts to a supplementary question.
Mr Adam Hort: Just the first, then.
The Speaker: The first part; thank you. There is no use of an "and" in a supplementary question.
Mr Reece Whitby replied:
I think that the briefing the member needs to get is whether he supports—
Several members interjected.
Mr Reece Whitby: The briefing he needs to get—
Several members interjected.
The Speaker: Members of the opposition!
Mr Reece Whitby: Member for Kalamunda, do you support your colleague in the other place for moving a disallowance against the gun laws? If the member is truly supportive of family and domestic violence measures—
Several members interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Mr Reece Whitby: —he will stand in support of gun laws that are designed to make all Western Australians safe; none of this approach from the member to purport to support family and domestic violence victims and to walk away from gun laws.
Several members interjected.
Mr Reece Whitby: This is a question for you, Leader of the Opposition. This is a test for you. Do you support—
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
Mr Reece Whitby: It is convenient now! Do you support the gun laws? Do you support the gun laws?
Several members interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Mr Reece Whitby: I think we have no answer. What do we take that for? No, you do not. Come on; it is your opportunity to stand up.
Point of order
Mr Adam Hort: He is not answering the question, Mr Speaker.
The Speaker: Sorry, is this a point of order?
Mr Adam Hort: Sorry—point of order, Mr Speaker.
Several members interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Mrs Jessica Stojkovski: You've got to do it through the standing orders!
Mr Adam Hort: I do not have to repeat a standing order.
Several members interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Mr Paul Papalia interjected.
The Speaker: Members; hello, up here. It is a point of order, which I actually answer, not you, so I really do not need your assistance; thank you very much. I will not uphold that point of order. The minister is responding to the question and he can do so in his own way. However, if you continue as an opposition to interject the way you are interjecting, you are never going to hear the response. I forewarn you that my patience is running out and I will start to call people to order.
Questions without notice resumed
The Speaker: Minister, have you finished?
Mr Reece Whitby: Yes, I have.
The Speaker: Thank you.
