Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY - Wednesday, 9 August 2000] p107b-107b Dr Geoff Gallop; Mr Richard Court POLICE CORRUPTION, ROYAL COMMISSION 23. Dr GALLOP to the Premier: (1) Does the Premier agree with the claim made by his Liberal Party colleague, Hon Derrick Tomlinson, in The Australian newspaper today that a royal commission into police corruption in Western Australia is inevitable? (2) If not, why not? Mr COURT replied: (1)-(2) I heard that comment but I do not agree with it. I listened earlier in this House to the Leader of the Opposition’s comments. I am very proud of our Police Service. We have made a huge investment in improving professional standards and the culture in the Police Service. The Leader of the Opposition made the comment that there should have been a royal commission into the Police Service in the early 1990s. I have said in this House that one of the first decisions we had to make as a Government was whether we would get the best result in 1993 by having a royal commission, because there were a lot of problems, or whether it would be better to get on with changing the structure, culture and the like to develop the most professional Police Service in this country. We decided not to have a royal commission. We brought in two outstanding Commissioners of Police. Dr Gallop: Your Government's position is a failure. Mr COURT: It is not a failure. We have said frequently that if the chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission or the Commissioner of Police recommended that there be a royal commission – Dr Gallop: It is not his role. Mr COURT: They are the people who know exactly what is going on inside the Police Service. If they were to make such a recommendation, we would act on that advice. The Leader of the Opposition said that the chairman of the ACC is the person in this State with the most inside knowledge. Dr Gallop: He is telling you that there are massive problems. What are you doing about it? Nothing. Mr COURT: The Leader of the Opposition said that the chairman of the ACC has the best inside knowledge of the Police Service. I agree with him. If the chairman made a recommendation, we would accept it. [1] .