The fallout from proposed industrial action by police officers over the border in NSW could see cooperation suspended on some shared operations with ACT police.
The Police Association of NSW will direct its members to take industrial action if the federal government fails to resolve a critical concessional cap issue by the end of June.
NSW Police said its fight on this issue was with the federal government and it will refuse to do the work of Commonwealth agencies "while the federal government continues to let officers down".
The curious twist is such federally focused action would directly affect NSW Police's working relationship with both ACT Policing and the Australian Federal Police - because all the sworn and unsworn officers in Canberra belong to the Commonwealth.
All ACT police officers are federal officers working under a rolling contract with the ACT government, and the federal police association is supporting the tough industrial stance by NSW Police.
"Police officers have no desire to withdraw their cooperation with Commonwealth agencies," Police Association of NSW secretary Pat Gooley said.
"Sadly, the federal government's continued inaction has forced our hand.
"In circumstances where there is a risk to a person's life or physical or psychological welfare, our members will continue to provide the highest standard of service and cooperation, including for ... our brothers and sisters in blue in ACT Policing.
"The types of Commonwealth activities that this industrial action will impact are where Commonwealth agencies perform compliance, regulatory or revenue enforcement actions."
These suspended actions would most likely include warrants, extraditions, bail compliance checks and joint operations.
Mr Gooley said his officers were being financially "punished" under a "bureaucratic mess" in which mandatory death and disability insurance were counted as superannuation contributions.
The risky nature of police work requires all NSW officers to be covered by a mandatory death and disability insurance policy. However, that insurance premium is washed through the officers' superannuation account, then withdrawn and paid to the insurance company.
The association says the insurance premium is counted as a contribution to the officer's superannuation, which falsely inflates their wages and tax bills, and may deny them support entitlements like parental leave, childcare rebates, child support and health rebates.
"Police aren't asking for a pay rise or a handout - just the same right as every other worker to support their family now and save their own money for retirement," Mr Gooley said.
"The fix to this problem is four simple lines of legislation."
Cross-border working relations between the two jurisdictions have always been healthy and strengthened further since late last year when Operation Toric (Targeting of Recidivist Offenders in Canberra) was initiated.
In previous years, offenders in stolen cars had seen the NSW-ACT border as an "escape route". But closer ties now exist with "special constable" status - which allows appointed police to cross the border and make an arrest - conferred on most members working in the ACT's traffic branch, and across Queanbeyan's general duties cohort.
