POLICE — LAURIE
MORLEY — EX GRATIA PAYMENT
36. Hon COLIN HOLT to the minister representing the
Minister for Police:
I refer to my question without
notice 1342 asked on 25 November 2020 about the ex gratia payment request from
retired police officer Laurie Morley.
(1) Has the State Solicitor's
Office provided advice on this matter to the government?
(2) If yes to (1), what was that
advice?
(3) If no to (1), when is the advice
expected?
(4) Has a decision
been made on an ex gratia payment; if yes, when will Mr Morley be notified;
and, if not, when can Mr Morley expect an answer from the government?
(5) Given Mr
Morley lodged the request nearly two years ago, does the minister consider this
to be an appropriate time for Mr Morley to wait for an answer to his request?
Hon
STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
The following information has been
provided to me by the Minister for Police.
(1)–(5) Mr
Morley's many years of service to the Western Australian community are
acknowledged and appreciated. The Western Australia Police Force advises that
the State Solicitor's Office has provided advice on this matter that
cannot be disclosed as it is subject to legal professional privilege. A
decision has not yet been made. Applications such as these are complex and
require detailed review and thorough consideration to ensure that comprehensive
advice is provided and to ensure that an informed and proper decision can be made. The McGowan government is
committed to implementing police compensation so that, in the future,
any serving officers who need to be medically retired due to a work-related
injury or illness have greater certainty.