Community safety
266. Mr Terry Healyto theMinister for Police:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's commitment to acting on crime and ensuring safe communities.
(1) Can the minister outline to the house how this government is supporting Western Australian police in their efforts to prevent crime and keep the community safe?
(2) Can the minister also advise the house how this government's record contrasts with that of the previous Liberal–National governments?
Mr Reece Whitby replied:
(1)–(2) As a matter of fact, I can. I thank the member for his commitment to our police and ensuring that we have the best quality police force in the country. I think there is no doubt about that in this chamber. We have superb men and women in blue. They are amply resourced with the best technology, and that results in the best police service in the country—in the world, let us say. Since coming to office, our government has ensured there are more police on the beat than ever before. There are record numbers, with 7,300 at the moment. In last week's budget, we allocated $15.6 million to upgrade the police academy's accommodation wing in Joondalup to give our regional recruits a free place to come and train to be police officers. We are encouraging more officers in the regions to pursue their ambitions to help the community be safe. We think that is a very good initiative. That is on top of doubling the academy's capacity, which now trains record numbers of officers—1,000 recruits per year. That has never been done before at this scale, and we are doing it.
I could go on and on about what other initiatives the budget contains for our police, but I just wanted to make an interesting comparison. I heard the news the other day that our population ticked over the three million mark. I thought it would be a good opportunity to compare now with, let us pick a year—say 2016—when there was another state government in Western Australia. I want to compare what has happened in that time. In 2024 there were three million Western Australians and in 2016 there were just under 2.6 million Western Australians. I have done the maths. That is an increase of over 400,000 Western Australians in the time since we have been in office.
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
Mr Reece Whitby: I have done my bit.
That is a more than 17% increase in population. I thought: what has the crime rate done in that time? Let us compare the figures from 2016 with 2024. What has the crime rate done in that time? Would you believe, Mr Speaker, WA's total crime rate in that time has fallen by over 14%? A 14% fall—that is right. The crime rate has come down significantly since the Liberals and Nationals were last in power. In fact, the crime rate peaked in 2016 under the watch of members opposite. I also want to look at some other figures. As we know, our population has increased by 400,000 in that time. What has happened in the actual numbers in motor vehicle theft, for instance? Again, I am comparing the real number in 2016 with the real number in 2024, a time when our population has increased massively by 400,000. What was the actual incidence of motor vehicle theft in Western Australia in 2016 compared with now? It has fallen by 3,000, despite that massive increase in the population.
Mr Basil Zempilas: Look at violent crime.
Mr Reece Whitby: Okay. Let us look at some other stats. Our population has increased—
Mr Shane Love: This is an absolute joke. This is not an answer to a question.
Mr Reece Whitby: This is making you very uncomfortable, member.
The Speaker: Members!
Several members interjected.
The Speaker: The more you interject, the longer it will take the minister to complete his answer. Carry on, minister.
Mr Reece Whitby: I do not mind the delays because these are interesting numbers. Members opposite might not want to hear them, but I will take all the time we have.
The Speaker: I will decide that, minister!
Mr Reece Whitby: Of course, Speaker.
Our population has increased by 400,000. What has happened to incidents of property damage in that time? What do members think? It has fallen by 7,000. What about burglaries in that time? The number of burglaries has fallen by over 20,000, which is a 50% reduction in burglaries. Again, I take members to the overall crime rate falling by that figure. Let me be clear—
Several members interjected.
The Speaker: Members and Leader of the Opposition. The minister is concluding his remarks.
Mr Reece Whitby: Let us get rid of this nonsense once and for all about the Liberals and Nationals being tough on crime. They are community safety failures and the stats very clearly show that. There is a reason that we have seen these changes. We have seen the government—
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition.
Mr Reece Whitby: I am trying to finish up, Mr Speaker.
The Speaker: I know and he is making it very difficult for you.
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
Mr Reece Whitby: Are you right?
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition.
Mr Reece Whitby: We have seen a government that has increased penalties for attacks on retail workers, that has introduced knife wanding laws and protected entertainment precincts, a government that has cracked down on bikie gangs and, as the Attorney General just mentioned, another law reform initiative to keep the community safer, which was the post and boast laws introduced yesterday. Just like the furphy that those opposite are better financial managers, it is also a furphy that they are any better on community safety.
My last point is this: if the opposition is ever serious about community safety and crime in this state, why on earth would it seek to gut and undermine our safer gun laws, which every one of them in this place did barely a few weeks ago? They voted to disallow the regulations to support our gun laws. If they want to be community safety conscious—
Several members interjected.
The Speaker: Thank you, minister.
Mr Frank Paolino: Sit down.
The Speaker: Who said that? Once again, it is my call, not yours. The member for Carine with the final question.
