Hon GEORGE HAWKINS
MP for Manurewa
Minister of Police; Civil Defence; Minister for Ethnic Affairs
MEDIA RELEASE
INCIS Contributes to Budget Drain
The effect of the previous National government's mishandling of the Incis debacle continues.
Minister of Police, Hon. George Hawkins said it has been known for some time that the police budget has been under
pressure.
"I am aware in the police have been facing cost pressures across a number of fronts for several years which have been
compounded by funding problems associated with Incis and the police review. The police review for instance has dragged
on and has not realised the savings that were promised.
"These pressures were signalled in police briefing papers presented to me on taking office.
"I am working through the issue with police to determine how best to address this problematic area," George Hawkins
said.
"The previous National government planned to cut policing by some $24 million for the 2000/01 financial year. They
planned that cut at a time when they knew the baseline police funding was in difficulty.
"In fact they wanted to cut police spending for the next five years. And they planned this while Incis was spiralling
out of control," George Hawkins said.
The evidence of this was displayed by the then Treasurer Bill English, in answer to a Parliamentary written question
5547 as lodged on July 5 1999.
The answer showed the baseline police budget would be cut by $24.022 million in the 2000/01 financial year. And that a
cut of $19.888 million off the 1999/2000 budget was estimated for the next five years.
National allowed Incis to drag on for far too long. The ongoing costs of moving from the Wanganui system to an expensive
mainframe system from IBM – which was necessary to run Incis – continues to drain the police budget.
"This budget drain is the kind of thing that happens when a government does not take notice when expenditure goes
unchecked," George Hawkins said.
Police will brief George Hawkins in more detail as part of the forthcoming budget round."
ENDS