Richard Court's economic statement had revealed the Opposition's whole approach to law and order as a farce, Attorney General Joe Berinson said today.
"While they have been busy trumpeting a commitment to law and order as a major issue in the coming election, their own figures show they do not intend providing even half of what they have promised," he said.
"The Police Department has estimated the cost of the Opposition's basic undertaking to provide 800 new policemen at $84 million over four years. They have provided only $39.6 million.
"The provision for the first year of the program (1993-94) is $2.7 million. That would provide less than 60 policemen. This is in spite of their constant complaint that the need is urgent."
Mr Berinson said the clearest indication that the Opposition had no intention of meeting its own target was the provision of $18 million in 1996-97, the final year of the four-year program.
"If 800 new policemen were appointed, as promised, their figures allow for only $22,500 per policeman. Salaries alone would be a minimum $33,000 per policeman, without even allowing for training, uniforms, equipment, vehicles or housing. As a result, their costing for 1996-97 is understated by over $12 million."
Mr Berinson said the only other special funding in the Opposition estimates was for extra compensation for victims of crime, but the amount made a mockery of their expressed concern.
"They have allocated a total extra of $75,000 a year, when the increase in the Government's allocation last year alone was $1.25 million, making a total expenditure of $4.5 million," he said.
Mr Berinson said the Opposition had indicated that all the rest of their promises would be absorbed by standard budget allocations.
"While their policy offers little in the way of new and useful initiatives, some of their additional commitments include recognition and compensation for police spouses, support for one officer stations, four additional victims of crime units, a Yanchep/Two Rocks police station, additional funding for the Director of Public Prosecutions, and a new weekend detention facility," he said.
"Their television advertisements also promise new juvenile rehabilitation centres, although they conveniently forget this in both their policy document and budget estimates.
"It is self-evident that if those commitments are to be funded from existing programs, other areas of law and order will have to be cut."
Mr Berinson said it was clear the Opposition had left its costings to the last possible moment in the hope that the serious implications for law and order would not be recognised.
