HANSARD
SITTING CALENDAR
SEARCH
LIVE BROADCAST
Hansard Dynamic Subject Index
Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2007-11-20 Daily Xml
Contents
Pdf Xml

POLICE DRUG DETECTION DOGS

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (14:54): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Police a question on the subject of the sad plight of Molly, Jay and Hooch.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Mr President, you obviously remember that Molly, Jay and Hooch are three specially trained detection dogs that were trained in June, July and August last year. They are part of the Dog Operations Unit, and they are passive alert detection dogs that are trained to detect cannabis, cocaine, heroin, amphetamines and ecstasy. The original intention of police was that they be used in open areas such as Hindley Street, monitoring nightclubs or hotels or any events where police might suspect drug activity.

These labradors operate in much the same manner as customs dogs at airports, that is, they sit next to the person when there is detection and, in addition to these entertainment venues I have mentioned, it was intended that they be used on public transport and at sporting venues as well.

Police confirmed last year that these dogs could not do the job for which they had been specifically trained until the Minister for Police introduced urgent legislation in the parliament to change the law. Last year the minister on that occasion said that as soon as he received a submission he would give it rapid consideration. In March of this year, when I asked the question again, he said, 'I would hope we would introduce the legislation in the next session, which is not all that many weeks away'. That was in March this year. We are now in probably the final sitting week of 2007, and legislation has not been introduced, which means it cannot now be introduced until, at the earliest, February, which means that its passage probably will not be until March, April or May next year. My questions to the Minister for Police are as follows:

1. Is it incompetence or laziness that has meant he has not introduced this legislation into the parliament as he promised many months ago?

2. When will he finally get off his backside and introduce this critical legislation into the parliament so that these dogs, which have been specifically trained to do this task, can actually get on with the job and do what they have been trained for?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Police, Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning) (14:56): These dogs are getting on with what they have been trained for. They have been very successful in terms of the activities they have undertaken. Certainly changes are needed to legislation to enable them to be deployed in other areas, but they have been very successful. For example, at the Big Day Out earlier this year (and soon coming up again next year), the police provided a highly visible presence and used a variety of strategies and resources to ensure the safety of those who attended the event, including bag searches at the entrance gates. The dog operations unit provides support to operational police through the deployment of highly trained dog teams.

This government has introduced an unprecedented amount of law and order legislation—it is coming fast. Just today the Premier announced legislation relating to outlaw motorcycle gangs. Before this government came to office I can recall just shortly before the election in 2001 that three people were shot by bikie gangs in the street. What did the previous government do about outlaw motorcycle gangs? What did it do about DNA? This government now leads the country in relation to DNA laws.

Serious organised crime legislation that will be introduced today has received the priority of this government because that is where the priority has to be. Legislation in relation to PAD dogs forms part of the busy legislative timetable in the Attorney's office, and the drafting people are looking at that. We have an enormous amount of legislation to deal with in relation to organised crime. We introduced the DNA legislation and we will have the firearms legislation to be considered. We need to introduce the pawnbrokers and second-hand dealers legislation to give effect to some necessary changes to ensure that we get a better handle on property crime, particularly with the rising prices of scrap metals. So there is a huge legislative list before this government. I know that the PAD dogs measure is on the list being considered through the Attorney's office.

Next year we will debate a massive amount of legislation. I look forward to the support of the opposition for all government legislation. For example, the serious organised crime legislation aimed at outlaw motorcycle gangs will be controversial, but it is necessary if we are to address this issue. This has taken a long time in drafting. Police resources and the Attorney's officers have spent a significant amount of time drafting this legislation, as they have a series of other amendments to other acts that will be introduced in this parliament.

While it will be useful to amend the legislation in relation to the PAD dogs, there are a number of other very pressing law and order issues that this government will give priority to. I am sure that legislation will come up in 2008, but in the meantime I can assure the honourable member that those passive alert detection (PAD) dogs will be used very effectively as part of the police dog unit to address—

The Hon. R.I. Lucas interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: It is what they have told me. I have been down and seen it.

The Hon. R.I. Lucas interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: I have spoken to the dog operations unit and I have actually seen what it does. These dogs are being effectively used. As I said, in accord with the government's massive list of legislative priorities in law and order, this legislation will be given the appropriate priority.

PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS
MEMBERS
GET INVOLVED
ABOUT PARLIAMENT
VISIT
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
CONTACT