Supporting WA Police In Their Push For A Pay Rise

17th December, 2017

With 88% of WA Police union members rejecting the $1,000 pay rise offered by the WA State Government, its unfortunate that our Police, and the Police Union felt like they had no choice but to accept the $1,000 fixed pay rise in the end.

Many police officers feel disgruntled, especially that whilst in opposition Mark McGowan supported a 1.5% increase only to change his position to the $1,000 fixed pay rise after being elected.

Our police were then put in the position that after commencing industrial action the commissioner intervened and ordered officers back to work.

Our police do an amazing job in sometimes extraordinary circumstances and are called on to preserve the peace when their own safety is put at risk as in many instances when people run away from trouble, it's often our police and emergency services that run towards the trouble.

Considering our WA police still have no workers compensation scheme and have to make an application to the WA state government in the event they are injured, the news of the fixed $1,000 pay rise is even more insulting.

Combined with the WA State Governments cost of living increases, ie rates and taxes, electricity etc the effective position of the $1,000 pay rise is that when combined with increased taxes, the Police payrise is minimal at best. Again this is an extraordinary position to place our Police in.

The reason the State Government and Premier Mark McGowan have done this is the position of our state finances, and the GST position our state currently faces does not help either. Even last week we saw more cuts to education and other services and this, along with the GST distribution WA receives, needs to be immediately corrected.

I support our Police in full and do not believe the $1,000 is adequate considering the position of our economy, and the effect that $1,000 has on their overall salary.

Immediate action is required to fix the GST distribution, WA's budget and our overall services position as if not, it's not fair on the WA public or our police who are now being hit with large cost of living increases by the WA State Government.

Mark McGowan you can't have it both ways and I do hope the WA Government immediately introduces a workers compensation scheme and respects our police officers with a proper pay rise.

In helping the many officers at the Police Xmas function a week ago, I saw first hand and spoke to many officers who expressed dissatisfaction and anger at the offer by the WA State Government, and the position they now find themselves in.

Philip Couper