The Opposition has called on the Premier and the Police Minister to provide a full explanation of the many inconsistencies and gaps that have emerged since the community first learned about the tasering of a 95-year-old grandmother.
The Opposition have given notice in Parliament today calling on the Government to release communications between the Premier, Minister for Police, NSW Police and public officials that were being exchanged at the time.
Leader of the Opposition Mark Speakman said “today in Question Time the Police Minister deflected, dissembled and refused to answer direct questions about her actions as the Minister”.
“The Police Minister has repeatedly failed to provide any transparency and give the public any confidence that she is on top of this situation or her portfolio,” said Mr Speakman.
“Her Excellency the Governor told police graduates last week that ‘public trust in the police serves as the bedrock of its legitimacy’. However, the Police Minister is currently undermining that trust by failing to exercise her responsibilities as Minister as she continues to avoid questions and any scrutiny into her actions,” said Shadow Police Minister Paul Toole.
The Government must immediately answer the following questions:
1. If the Police Minister’s explanation for why it took so long to inform the public is that the family needed to be told, why did it take a further 19 hours after the family met the Critical Incident Team before a release about the use of a taser was issued?
2. Why did the Minister mislead the public and Parliament by failing to share this information?
3. Had the aged care facility or the police already informed the family of the incident before the meeting with the Critical Incident Team? If so, when did the Minister and police know this and why was the use of a taser not then disclosed to the public?
4. As the Minister has admitted to being briefed about the incident on 17 May, why did she ignore her duty to correct the public record when the police media release stated that no further information was available?
5. What efforts did the Minister make to keep herself up to date with developments after the original briefing on 17 May?
6. When did the Minister know the family had been informed? What steps did she take or what enquiries did she make after that, to ensure the public were told as soon as possible?
7. What knowledge did the Premier and his office have, and what role did they play, in communications to the public about the incident?
