Hon. Tony Ryall MP
National Police Spokesman
19 May 2005

Budget 2005: Police get too little, too late

National's Law and Order spokesman, Tony Ryall, says the Budget does nothing to restore the public's confidence in the police that has been shattered by the Labour Government.

"Lifting frontline officers by a pathetic 120 is way too little, way too late, and will not be noticed on the streets where the extra help is needed.

"George Hawkins has again failed to deliver. He has again let down the police and the citizens of this country by failing to get more resources.

"Michael Cullen crows about how this Budget will give New Zealand a record 10,000 police, but the facts are that the number of police has not kept up with our population growth.

"Labour's lack of commitment shows how out of touch they are with mainstream New Zealand. Crime is a big worry for most people and they are looking to the Government to deal with their concerns.

"This country needs more police than this Government is giving us and it needs a Police Minister who is capable of delivering them.

"We must restore confidence in the police so they can do their job efficiently.

"National will deliver the resources to again make our streets safe," says Mr Ryall.

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