Former Gosnells sergeant Rob Coales greeted Police Minister Liza Harvey’s announcement on worker’s compensation for WA police with enthusiasm.
Mr Coales said Ms Harvey announced the government would deliver workers compensation for WA police without the removal of current entitlements at a Police Union conference on November 28.
“This is fantastic news,” he said.
“It is part of a package of changes to benefit the welfare of police officers.”
Mr Coales said the announcement was 30 years in the making and he hoped police officers and their families would welcome the package.
“It will help give them peace of mind that they are covered when they are working to protect us in the community,” he said.
Police Minister Liza Harvey said WA police officers had one of the most challenging jobs.
“The scheme is part of a support package which also removed the medically retired process from the loss of confidence procedure which affected officers found humiliating,” she said.
“It also removes the automatic sacking of officers declared bankrupt without any personal wrongdoing.”
Police Union president George Tilbury who also spoke at the Police Union conference said that issue was not about serving police officers but about those injured on duty resulting in being medically retired.
“The point has been totally missed by the government,” he said.
“There is nothing in it for those officers that are medically retired.
“If you look at the injuries they were to sustain under the current stock standard workers compensation scheme it’s at a couple of hundred thousand dollars which is nowhere near enough.”
Mr Tilbury said the Police Union wanted the workers compensation package to be all-inclusive and to look after police officers in any circumstances.
“Policing is a dangerous profession,” he said.
“What the minister is proposing will see dual schemes, which is confusing and will not work.
“We need a specific tailored scheme for police officers who are out there protecting the community and putting their lives on the line.”
