Collins reinvents recent history and believes herself
National is trying to rewrite recent history by denying that Labour funded 407 new police staff in 2008-09 as part of
its confidence and supply agreement with New Zealand First, says Labour Law and Order spokesperson Clayton Cosgrove.
“Not only is Police Minister Judith Collins seeking to deny the reality that the Labour Party-NZ First agreement led to
the recruitment and funding of 1250 new police over three years, including 407 in 2008-09, but she is so trapped in her
self-delusion that she actually seems to have convinced herself it didn’t happen,” Clayton Cosgrove said.
“Judith Collins is desperate not to reveal how many of her so-called 600 new frontline police to be provided under
National were actually part of the fully-funded Labour-NZ First initiative.
“Under National police numbers are actually falling in two-thirds of our police districts,” Clayton Cosgrove said.
“It’s not surprising that senior police, like Sergeant Kevin Stewart of Hastings and Sergeant Craig Prior of
Christchurch, are publicly discussing the problems police face.
“When an officer like Sergeant Prior says that the level of service is not acceptable, then that underlines just how
serious the situation is.
“It is no wonder Judith Collins seeks to deny such a home truth. She is becoming distant from the reality for people in
most of our communities who face increasing crime and know their police strength is being diluted just so the Minister
can boast of extra numbers in her home patch of Counties-Manukau.
“The official police numbers tell the truth. Judith Collins has her own version of it.”
ENDS