00:02Police Minister Felix Ellis often stands with officers in front of the cameras.
00:07But when it comes to standing up for them once they've left the force...
00:11Don't wrap yourself in the blue and then turn around and do nothing for us.
00:15He says that he cares for us and so forth, but he certainly doesn't show it in any way at
00:20all.
00:21The retired Police Association of Tasmania says the Minister has snubbed them,
00:26having promised a pilot program to support former officers suffering mental health issues caused by their service,
00:33it's nowhere to be seen.
00:35And despite this pledge seven weeks ago...
00:38We'll find a time in the diary.
00:39The next month? Will you do that within the next month?
00:41Yeah, that'd be good.
00:42They say they can't get a meeting with him.
00:45We have people who are almost falling off the edge who need to see someone fairly quickly.
00:51We cannot get them before someone or a psychologist.
00:55It's quite clear that Minister Ellis does not care about police officers, particularly once they have retired.
01:03His actions are despicable.
01:04Minister Ellis knocked back an on-camera interview and refused to answer written questions about the pilot program
01:10or if he'd snubbed former officers.
01:14Instead, a state government spokesperson said the Department of Health is now developing a pilot program
01:20for first responders mental health.
01:23We will now be progressing in coming weeks invitations for co-design of this pilot program
01:30which will be expanded to include all first responders and retired first responders as well.
01:37Thanks, sir.
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