Minister must ensure 111 issue is fixed
Stuart Nash
MP for
Napier
Police Spokesperson
MEDIA STATEMENT
2 May 2016
Minister must ensure 111 issue is fixed
The Police Minister must ensure the 111 fault is fixed as an urgent priority as a 40 minute wait can be the difference between life and death, says Labour’s Police spokesperson Stuart Nash.
“The Police have said the fault lies with their system. This must be fixed immediately. There cannot be a repeat this Saturday – it’s the peak time for emergency calls. Just telling people to keep calling back isn’t the solution.
“People don’t call 111 for chat. They are in dire need of help. This isn’t a glitch. A 40 minute back log of calls is the difference between life and death.
“New Zealanders will be shocked at the idea that an automated message would be the response to someone calling the Police in an emergency. That is simply not acceptable. If the Minister thinks it is, she is out of touch.
“The Police have had their funding frozen for years and have had to absorb $300m in cost pressures. That sort of underfunding leads to issues like this.
“Judith Collins likes to pretend she’s a can-do type of Minister. She needs to take control of this situation immediately and make sure it’s sorted. She needs to promise New Zealanders there won’t be a repeat next Saturday,” says Stuart Nash.
ENDS