CORONAVIRUS — POLICE RESOURCES
634. Mr P.A. KATSAMBANIS to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. Is the Premier able to
assure the public of Western Australia that the removal of 400 frontline police
officers or any more if there is an operational decision to move more —
Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected.
The SPEAKER: Minister for Police!
Mr P.A. KATSAMBANIS: Is the minister able to assure us
that that removal will not impact on the number of booze and drug bus
deployments that keep our community safe from drunk and drug-drivers?
Mr M. McGOWAN
replied:
These efforts to politicise COVID that the Liberal Party has
engaged in over the last six months have been nothing short of disgraceful.
This is another example of it. We are trying to save people's lives. We
are trying to prevent a deadly virus from getting into Western Australia, which
could kill a large number of people, particularly those over the age of 65
years. We are trying to ensure that our economy remains successful and vibrant
and the strongest in Australia, which it is today because we have not had COVID
come back into our state. These are not easy things to deal with, but Liberal
Party members come in here and try to politicise the situation. I do not know
who comes up with its strategy. I do not know why the Liberal Party is so adept
at offending public opinion and why it has no appreciation that people out
there dealing with this issue—such as police officers, who are doing a terrific
job—are worried for their lives. Here Liberal Party members are
whinging and bemoaning the task that police are performing on behalf of all of
us.
Mr P.A. Katsambanis interjected.
The SPEAKER: Member for Hillarys, you have had your
two goes. Member for Hillarys, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr M. McGOWAN: In every state in Australia, and, I suspect, in
every jurisdiction around the world, police officers are dealing with
matter. The Commissioner of Police, Chris Dawson, and the Acting Commissioner
of Police, Gary Dreibergs, have done a wonderful job of deploying resources to
save the lives of Western Australians and for some reason, Liberal Party
members always want to score political points on this issue—shame on
them!