Minister for Police is a position in the government of Western Australia, currently held by Paul Papalia of the Labor Party. The position was first created in 1919, in the first ministry formed by James Mitchell, and has existed in almost every government since. The current minister is primarily responsible for the Western Australia Police, although past ministers held responsibilities now assigned to the Minister for Emergency Services and the Minister for Road Safety.
Between 2003 and 2008 (in the Labor governments of Geoff Gallop and Alan Carpenter) there was a separate minister titled Minister for Community Safety. Since 2008, the minister for police has also been the minister for road safety.
List of police ministers Titles 25 June 1919 – 5 June 1975: Minister for Police 5 June 1975 – 25 January 1982: Minister for Police and Traffic 25 January 1982 – 25 February 1983: Minister for Police 25 February 1983 – 19 February 1990: Minister for Police and Emergency Services 19 February 1990 – 1 July 2001: Minister for Police 1 July 2001 – 23 September 2008: Minister for Police and Emergency Services 23 September 2008 – present: Minister for Police
Term start Term end Minister Party 25 June 1919 22 March 1924 John Scaddan Country 16 April 1924 25 June 1928 John Willcock Labor 25 June 1928 23 April 1930 Harold Millington Labor 24 April 1930 24 April 1933 John Scaddan Nationalist 24 April 1933 15 July 1936 Harold Millington Labor 15 July 1936 24 March 1937 Frank Wise Labor 24 March 1937 18 April 1939 William Kitson Labor 1939–1943: no minister – responsibility for police held by the Chief Secretary 9 December 1943 1 April 1947 William Kitson Labor 1 April 1947 5 January 1948 Ross McDonald Liberal 5 January 1948 6 April 1950 Hubert Parker Liberal 6 April 1950 23 February 1953 Arthur Abbott Liberal 23 February 1953 14 April 1956 Herbert Styants Labor 20 April 1956 2 April 1959 John Brady Labor 2 April 1959 7 November 1961 Charles Perkins Country 16 November 1961 11 April 1962 George Cornell Country 12 April 1962 3 March 1971 James Craig Country 3 March 1971 30 May 1973 Jerry Dolan Labor 30 May 1973 8 April 1974 Ronald Thompson Labor 8 April 1974 10 March 1977 Ray O'Connor Liberal 10 March 1977 5 March 1980 Des O'Neil Liberal 5 March 1980 30 December 1982 Bill Hassell Liberal 30 December 1982 25 February 1983 Ian Medcalf Liberal 25 February 1983 25 February 1986 Jeff Carr Labor 25 February 1986 12 May 1986 Arthur Tonkin Labor 12 May 1986 25 February 1988 Gordon Hill Labor 25 February 1988 19 February 1990 Ian Taylor Labor 19 February 1990 16 February 1993 Graham Edwards Labor 16 February 1993 9 January 1997 Bob Wiese National 9 January 1997 28 July 1998 John Day Liberal 28 July 1998 16 February 2001 Kevin Prince Liberal 16 February 2001 25 January 2006 Michelle Roberts Labor 3 February 2006 8 May 2006 John D'Orazio Labor 8 May 2006 23 September 2008 John Kobelke Labor 23 September 2008 29 June 2012 Rob Johnson Liberal 29 June 2012 17 March 2017 Liza Harvey Liberal 17 March 2017 19 March 2021 Michelle Roberts Labor 19 March 2021 19 March 2025 Paul Papalia Labor19 March 2025 Reece Whitby Labor
List of community safety ministers Term start Term end Minister Party 27 June 2003 25 January 2006 Michelle Roberts Labor 3 February 2006 8 May 2006 John D'Orazio Labor 8 May 2006 23 September 2008 John Kobelke Labor
See also Minister for Emergency Services (Western Australia) Minister for Road Safety (Western Australia)
References David Black (2014), The Western Australian Parliamentary Handbook (Twenty-Third Edition). Perth [W.A.]: Parliament of Western Australia.