Committee life for newest members

Trevor Milne and Rick Day are the two newest PASA committee members to enter the hallowed HG Henderson boardroom with the power of the vote. So, on his shoulders, each carries the weight of member expectation; and neither takes his role as joint decision-maker with 11other committee members lightly.

“I don’t think a lot people realize just how many decisions are made by the people who sit around that table,” says Day, 47. “Nor do they realize just how important those decisions are in the day-to-day running of the association, and care of the membership.”

For Milne and Day, both family men and full-time policemen from country posts, roles as committee members come at a price. Both have to keep abreast of police industrial issues and agenda items through extensive reading, research and consultation, as do their colleagues.

But these newest boys on the block also have to endure countless hours’ travel to attend fortnightly day-long committee meetings in PASA’s Henderson boardroom. To make the mid-morning start of each meeting, Milne, 50, has to rise at 5am to take a three-hour drive into Adelaide from Berri, where he works as a crime-scene investigator.

Elected to office in 2002 – after the retirement of former committee member, Ian Hills – Milne has had to devote a good deal of his spare time to “doing PASA work”, and therefore alter his lifestyle somewhat.

“I’ve found it extremely interesting, and a lot more in-depth than I had anticipated,” he explains. “I love the challenge of preparing stuff, reading, and forever getting myself knowledge.”

Day, a Kadina detective, won the position former committee member, Peter Franklin, held before he retired. He (Day) now finds that, attending to committee work in addition to his police duties and personal commitments, is a “continual juggling act”.

PASA committee members Trevor Milne (left) and Rick day

“I’d like to think that, so far, I haven’t dropped the ball,” he says. “It’s something that I assess on a daily basis. I don’t want to let down the 4,000 members whose interests I represent at committee level.”

Milne and Day, both former PASA country delegates, ran for office for the same reason. Driving each of them was the desire to bring strong country representation to the committee table.

And, now, from their elevated positions, Milne and Day see an inadequately staffed and under-resourced police force as the most crucial issue facing PASA members. Day sees it as responsible for the lowest morale he has ever seen in SAPOL since he became a cop, more than 29 years ago.

But of equal concern to him is that too few cops are attracted to careers, or even stints, in country policing. “We have to find ways to make country policing more attractive to recruits, now of older age groups,” he says.

“Some of them are 35, 36, and older. They’ve got houses and commitments in the city, and they’re not looking to come to the country. The pressure that is mounting on country people (police), because they’re understaffed and under-resourced, is absolutely incredible.

“I don’t think management realizes just how serious the issues are. Staffing is morale.”

Day’s aim as a committee member is to help bring about a happy, productive workforce. And both he and Milne hope to play a part in securing a favourable EB4 outcome, for all PASA members.

Milne also harbours an intense interest in police minority groups, such as women, and the establishment of appropriate indemnity against prosecution for police acting in the line of duty.

Chief among all he has learnt as a committee member is that contentious policies that SAPOL seeks to implement never escape PASA’s scrutiny – and action. “SAPOL doesn’t have the final say all the time,” he says.

“I’ve definitely learned that the role of the Police Association is greater within the policing environment, as a whole, than I first thought.”

One aspect of Day’s learning came as a true eye-opener. From his opportunities to meet interstate police union officials, he discovered that exactly the same issues burden cops throughout Australia.

“And,” he says, “the funny thing is that it all gets back to resources, staffing and conditions. The governments of the day seem not to be addressing those issues.”

Both Milne and Day hope to win new terms in next year’s PASA committee elections. And through another term, which would begin in 2009, Milne already speaks of continuing to serve.

Day, too, says he is “in for the long haul”, and adds: “I certainly want to stay while I think I’ve got something to give PASA, and our members.”