Hosting Police Association breakfast

Welcome everyone to Parliament, and particularly welcome to Police Association president Greg O’Connor and members of your association.

 It is quite fitting meeting so many police people for breakfast. I have never worked in a portfolio involving so much eating; and as long as I am Police Minister I will never be able to resign my gym membership.

 When you originally asked me to host this breakfast, at which you will announce the association’s police and law and order policies for the future, I didn’t have to think long about it.

 There is a good reason for that. Since I became Police Minister in 2005, the association and I have developed a strong working relationship that I believe is based on mutual respect and on an understanding of where we are both coming from.

 Much of the time the interests of the Police Association and the Government coincide in terms of creating a safer New Zealand, but there are inevitably also times when there are differences of opinion.

 I am sure that will be the case today, that I will not agree with all the association says in its policies, but the good thing about our relationship is that we have always been able to discuss the issues we disagree on just as cordially as the issues we agree on. In fact, I want to applaud the association for always being prepared to try to think of solutions instead of simply raising problems, and I know that will be the spirit behind the paper you are releasing today.

 And, as I said, there is plenty that we do agree on. When I look back on the past nine years, and the past two-and-a-half in particular, I am proud of what the Government has achieved in terms of policing, often with strong backing from the association and its members.

 This is the association’s show this morning, but I cannot let today pass without briefly mentioning some of those major achievements.

 ·        When the Government was elected in late 1999, Police were threatened by job cuts of 500 officers. Under Labour, total police numbers have grown by 2650 staff, an increase of more than 30 percent.

 ·        This trend has been accelerated under our confidence and supply agreement with New Zealand First to recruit an extra 1250 staff over three years to the end of June next year. We are over halfway there, and we will meet our target by the end of June. So much for those who belittled our chances.

 ·        Since we became the Government we have invested heavily in buildings also, opening 34 new or refurbished police stations to replace the infrastructure that was run down so badly in the 1990s.

 ·        We have also invested heavily in equipment, particularly in new vehicles and stab resistant body armour, and have started down the digital radio track. This Government accepts that it is no good putting more police on our streets without the equipment they need to do their job.

 ·        A new Police Bill, replacing legislation that is 50 years old, is due back in Parliament shortly and will be passed this year.

 ·        We are setting up a new agency, the Organised and Financial Crime Agency New Zealand (OFCANZ), to combat organised and financial crime.

 ·        We are introducing a comprehensive package of reforms relating to the exercise of search and surveillance powers by law enforcement agencies.

  While all this has been going on, we have also been developing a New Zealand style of community policing, and getting on with implementing the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry, including signing off of the Police Code of Conduct.

 I am sure Greg has a list of other things he and the association would like to see done, and I now hand over to him to outline the association’s policy.