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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 383 asked in the Legislative Council on 3 August 2021 by Hon Peter Collier

Parliament: 41 Session: 1

SOLDIERS AND SIRENS PROGRAM

383. Hon PETER COLLIER to the minister representing the Minister for Police:

I refer to the Soldiers and Sirens program, which has provided support services for police, defence veterans and other first responders for the past three years, but has not been able to continue due to a lack of government support.

(1) Will the minister commit to funding Soldiers and Sirens in order for this essential service provider to continue to support many Western Australian police, veterans and other first responders?

(2) If no to (1), why not?

Hon SUE ELLERY replied:

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. The following information has been provided to the representative minister by the Minister for Police.

(1)–(2) The Western Australia Police Force advises that officers are able to access private psychological and psychiatric support services from select preferred providers. Soldiers and Sirens was one preferred provider among a network of other providers that were able to encompass the additional capacity to ensure that all officers have access to support as required.

Members of WA Police also have access to other mental health services, including 24/7 access to an on-call clinical psychologist and chaplain and in-house and external psychological services. Regionally, mental health practitioners visit the districts multiple times a year and officers are provided access to telehealth services and local mental health services are referred to when available.

The McGowan government has also significantly increased the annual Anzac Day Trust fund to $1.3 million per year. The Anzac Day Trust program provides funding to organisations that support the welfare of veterans and their families, with a focus on programs that assist veterans to transition back to civilian life. Applications for the 2021 Anzac Day Trust grants program are currently open and close on 27 August, 2021.