NEW state police minister Liza Harvey has slammed South West MLC Adele Farina for fabricating claims the government would strip Bunbury’s police motorcycle fleet.
But Ms Farina has hit back at the criticism, saying the information came from the front line.
Last Friday Ms Farina called on the police minister to explain her decision to relocate the fleet to Perth and reverse the decision immediately.
Ms Farina announced on Monday that it was overturned by the government.
“While the overturn is welcome news, police minister Liza Harvey must explain why a grab for South West police resources was being made in the first place, and why it was reversed only after the community was made aware of it,” she said.
However, Ms Harvey said the government was never going to take to the fleet from South West.
“These claims might make more sense if there had ever been a decision on the part of the government to remove the motorcycles from the South West,” she said.
Ms Farina said she received a tip from “multiple sources within the police force” that the removal of the South West police motorcycle fleet was imminent.
“Following my call...to reconsider the decision, I was informed by the same sources from within the police force on Monday morning that it had been overturned, much to their relief,” she said.
“The facts are at odds with the police minister’s statement.”
