VICTOR Smith, the Liberal Party candidate for Cabramatta in the state elections, says more police are urgently needed to enforce new State Government laws for P-plate drivers.

Mr Smith said he supported the new rules on drivers on red P-plates, who from July will be allowed to carry only one passenger between 11pm and 5am. But Mr Smith said more highway patrol officers were needed on NSW roads right now. He said most P-platers laughed at the present lack of police powers and presence on our roads. ‘‘New rules and regulations are useless unless you have additional officers on the roads immediately to enforce these changes,’’ Mr Smith said. ‘‘Unless police numbers are boosted immediately, these changes will mean very little to our current inadequate P-plate system.’’ Mr Smith said Labor had since 1997 reduced the number of police assigned to highway patrol. He said the Liberal Party had a plan that would get 300 more highway patrol officers on the roads at once. The $130 million package announced by Opposition Leader Peter Debnam also includes 120 additional highway patrol cars and 50 highway patrol motorcycles. ‘‘If elected in March, I will be helping to put an end to highway patrol officers being taken off the road to carry out general duties work because of understaffing at our local stations,’’ Mr Smith said.