Category: Politics

Source: Radio New Zealand

MP for Te Tai Tokerau Mariameno Kapa-Kingi is returning to Parliament for the first time after being temporarily reinstated to Te Pāti Māori.

Kapa-Kingi contested her expulsion in court last week and got her membership back in time for the party’s annual general meeting in Rotorua over the weekend.

She told RNZ she wanted to be included in the Māori Party’s weekly caucus meeting, though she was yet to get an invite.

“It makes Parliamentary sense to me to do that and I’ve prepared myself for that but I would expect that a discussion or a reaching out would happen. We’ll see.”

Regardless of getting an invite to the party’s weekly hui, she said she would be showing up and working this week.

“I’ve already had a couple of meetings in terms of the next two weeks. We know that the House is likely to go into urgency because there’s still quite a bit of work to push through.

“I’ll be there as usual, first thing in the morning … and we’ll set ourselves up in that way. I haven’t heard anything from the party, anything formal yet, but I’ll be at the House and ready if any of that comes through.”

Kapa-Kingi said she had received a lot of respect and love at Te Pāti Māori’s AGM over the weekend.

“There was certainly a lot of photo interest and the number of people, I’m talking from across the hui, not just people who I know, but definitely a number from across each of the electorates who were overtly kind, respectful, loving and supportive. They were all of those things directly.

“It didn’t surprise me that a lot of them were women, wahine Māori and wahine Pākehā, that were overtly expressing you know, that sort of ‘good on you Meno’, that kind of thing.”

Expelled Te Tai Tonga MP Tākuta Ferris wasn’t at the AGM but published an Instagram story at the weekend, saying, “What Te iwi Māori doesn’t need is a political leader driven by UTU’.”

While Kapa-Kingi didn’t have a speaking slot at the hui, she said Dame Naida Glavish spoke on behalf of Tai Tokerau.

“She got really straight and plain in her reo Māori that only Tai Tokerau can take Meno out because it’s Tai Tokerau voters that put her in.”

Kapa-Kingi said Glavish also laid down key messages from a large hui at Kohewhata marae in Kaikohe a few weeks ago.

Te Pāti Māori’s leadership had been invited but did not attend.

“She laid that down very clearly and had the executive hear that. Obviously up to them how they understand it,” Kapa-Kingi said.

Glavish also shared a message from women in Northland about how they thought the Te Tai Tokerau MP had been treated, she said.

“They are absolutely disgusted with the way the president has treated me and the way in which he would address and assault me.

“Their kōrero was you are not suitable to be the president … and that we will persist with our plans for the Tai Tokerau from the voice of people.

“It’s not the executive that runs the people, it’s the people, the voices of the people, that will decide what is best for Tai Tokerau.”

Asked if she thought the executive had understood this message, Kapa-Kingi said it was loud and clear for everyone that was present.

“Naida is very straight. There was nothing grey, no nuance in her kōrero. What they then do with that is yet to be seen.”

Kapa-Kingi said it was too early to say if the party had made any progress at the AGM.

“I haven’t watched or heard [Tamihere’s] discussion after the AGM but there was certainly a lot of contest to the discussion from the front table inside the room.

“There was a lot of contest and questioning and clarification, which is typical actually in an AGM, but there was definitely an edge to this.”

She said she didn’t have any interactions with the party’s president John Tamihere or party co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi over the weekend.

“You need to keep yourself safe, I don’t mean that in a dastardly way, I just mean you need to contain and moderate yourself.

“Naida was very clear, she was very clear with me; Tai Tokerau, I will carry that voice.

“It’s one of the most comforting things when you’ve got a he kahurangi, he rangatira just saying it’s okay, you’ve done your bit, you’ve done the heavy lifting. We’ve already got this decision from court so we’ll take this now.”

Kapa-Kingi said she was looking forward to taking a break over summer and would not change her mind about contesting the Te Tai Tokerau seat next year.

“Not at all. I am as resolute as I was when we first made the decisions to move a particular way and in fact I’m as resolute as I was when Tariana asked me to run.

“Of course there’s ups and downs and life is always present and this situation now, but I’m as resolute as I was then and I’m determined.”

She wanted those in her electorate to take a break over summer too.

“Keep connected to the idea that by Māori, for Māori, and all those things Māori that you value, those are still the things that in my heart our party is about.

“Fundamentally, tikanga is critical, te reo is critical, your connections to your marae and all of those very deeply traditional Māori things are critical.

“So connect, reconnect over Christmas with everybody that you love, care about and want to spend time with and just focus on those things because there’s a lot to come in the next year.”

A substantive hearing into Kapa-Kingi’s future in Te Pāti Māori will be heard in the High Court in Wellington on 2 February 2026.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Prime Minister says there is no need for a further inquiry into the Jevon McSkimming scandal, claiming the government’s implementation of an Inspector General is the strongest response.

On Sunday, former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster told TVNZ’s Q+A that ministers knew more than they had admitted about McSkimming.

Coster claimed he had briefed former Police Minister Chris Hipkins and current Police Minister Mark Mitchell about the allegations before both said they were aware.

Both Hipkins and Mitchell have denied Coster’s claims.

Mitchell told Morning Report it was “absolute total nonsense,” and that he did not know anything about the allegations before 6 November 2024.

Christopher Luxon has expressed confidence in Mitchell and his timeline of events.

“You can go through the process story of who said what, when, and where, but from my point of view the matter’s settled. Mark’s addressed the issues, I’m very comfortable with that. I think he’s doing an exceptionally good job,” Luxon said.

A further inquiry – such as a Royal Commission – was not needed, Luxon said, as the government’s focus was on responding to the Independent Police Conduct Authority’s report’s findings and making sure it did not happen again.

“No, what we need to do is jump to the solution that any inquiry would generate, which is to give us the strongest statutory oversight mechanism possible, which is that of an Inspector General of Police,” Luxon said.

Acknowledging Hipkins had also come out to deny Coster’s allegations, Luxon said Hipkins and Mitchell had taken the same approach.

“That’s not their recollection of events at all. And I think we have to trust them with that.”

Hipkins said he had spent time over the weekend “reflecting” on conversations he had with Coster while he was Police Minister, and could not recall any where it came up.

Coster’s claim that he told Hipkins in the back of a car while the two were travelling around the South Island “simply never happened,” Hipkins said.

“Certainly not on the road trip that we did across the country, nor at any other time. So I don’t know what he’s referring to there, but he clearly never provided me with any briefing of the allegations surrounding Jevon McSkimming.”

An informal conversation in the back of a car would have been insufficient anyway, as there was an obligation from the Police Commissioner to disclose what he knew during the formal appointment process.

“One of the observations that I would have from this is that there did appear to be a culture within the Police of downplaying the significance of any of these allegations,” Hipkins said.

Whether there was a need for a further inquiry was up to the government, Hipkins said, but he would support any decision they took in that regard.

Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson said it was important system failures were fixed, and for the harm of victims and survivors to be centred.

“I’m hearing a lot of them protecting themselves. I suppose that’s natural, but I would really like to hear any voices involved, especially men in power, to really direct their voices back to fixing the system and to supporting victim survivors.”

Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi wanted an investigation separate from the IPCA, now that allegations were coming out after its release.

“If there are facts coming outside of the IPCA, then obviously the IPCA report hasn’t done its thorough job. There should be another external process, like a Royal Commission, into that particular issue, to ensure that we’re getting all the facts, also taking into consideration the IPCA report but also those other allegations that are coming in afterwards so we’ve got a full picture.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Prime Minister is set to face questions as he lays out his government’s plans for the last weeks of the political year.

Christopher Luxon is speaking to media after a regular meeting of Cabinet ministers. You can watch the press conference live at the top of this page from bout 4pm.

Parliament will sit for the last time this year on December 18.

It comes as former Labour Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer criticises the government for passing too many laws under urgency.

Meanwhile, Luxon has been defending Police Minister Mark Mitchell, who has been facing questions about what he knew about the investigation into former top cop Jevon McSkimming, after claims by former Commissioner Andrew Coster.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A former Labour Prime Minister says Parliament is passing too many laws without proper scrutiny.

Sir Geoffrey Palmer told Nine to Noon the government was increasingly pushing through legislation under urgency, which allowed it to skip stages such as public consultation and select committees.

But Leader of the House Chris Bishop said just nine Bills have been passed in that way, and there were good reasons for all of them.

Palmer said the normal checks and balances were stripped out when laws were made at pace.

“Urgency has become the default mechanism for dealing with Parliamentary legislation and the standing orders are not followed and you also have extended sittings – and both of those mean the Government’s agenda is completely at the will of the Government,” he said.

Palmer said the Fast-Track Approvals Act 2024 – and its amendment – was a classic example of a trend that “ministers know best” and was “ministerial dictatorship”.

“It was criticised by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment then, Simon Upton, the amendment bill puts the process that was enacted in 2024 on steroids.

“It gets faster and faster. It will be a fast-track to environmental degradation, [more] than it already is.”

Bishop was approached for further comment.

The legislation, which passed under urgency at the end of last year, is back before Parliament with an amendment that the government intended to push through by the end of 2025.

It said the amendment to the Act would increase competition in the supermarket sector.

Despite being open for just over 10 days, it received 2158 submissions, with about 95 percent opposed.

Palmer said legislative checks and balances – which he already considered lacking – were further reduced when legislation was made at pace.

“What is the hurry? Legislation is law-making. You want to get it right. You have to analyse it, you have to do proper research, you don’t bang it through because a minister has an idea.

“It needs to be properly drafted by Parliamentary council. We have had a degradation of our legislative system in New Zealand in recent years.”

Bishop said the government had a big legislative agenda and limited hours in ordinary house time to get it done.

Regarding the use of urgency, he said: “I am reluctant to use urgency to avoid select committees outside of the standard Budget urgency process, and it is only done so when there are good reasons.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Parliament’s final weeks of the year began with Scrutiny Week, and while bellicose exchanges dominated headlines, much examination took place in relatively calmer hearings.

Coverage of Parliament’s biannual scrutiny weeks is often dominated by the more theatrical moments of verbal sparring between ministers and opposition MPs.

But in the hearings where ministers are absent, leaving only ministry officials and committee MPs present, the lack of a minister-vs-opposition dynamic allows for a more inquisitive and constructive dialogue.

One such example last week was the annual review hearing of the Ministry of Justice, which carried a noticeably calmer, more focused tone.

There is considerable crossover between membership of the Justice Committee and the MPs who you might call ‘practitioners of the committee of the whole House stage’; those their parties often rely on to dissect the finer details of legislation. Among them is Green MP Lawrence Xu-Nan, who this week dissected annual report numbers with justice officials and went deep into the data on Māori representation in the justice system. The exchange between Xu-Nan and officials was hardly dramatic, but it demonstrated the scrutiny process unfolding in real time.

With less temptation for political tit-for-tat MPs have more room for MPs to really probe the data. Labour MP Duncan Webb used his time to probe the Ministerial Advisory Group for Victims of Retail Crime and the financial numbers coming from its work. It was a lengthy exchange that, appropriately for a former senior law practitioner, felt like a gentle but revealing courtroom cross-examination.

“Is there any concern around the costs that have been incurred by members of that group?” Webb asked Secretary for Justice Andrew Kibblewhite.

“The group is doing its work. They’re busy and they’re producing quite a lot of advice for ministers. As part of that they’re running quite a lot of engagements,” Kibblewhite replied.

Webb: “What’s the audit check when people put claims in for days worked that the days were worked?”

Kibblewhite: “We would take a member’s claim for days worked on face value.”

Webb: “It’s just, I mean, in terms of the chair, he claimed for 154 days between February and July 25, meaning he worked five days a week in one or two days every weekend and took none of the six public holidays in that period. Does that raise any concern?”

Kibblewhite: “Look, I think this is a pretty passionate undertaking for the chair, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he did work very long days and hours on it.”

This tangent of inquiry continued for some time, with Webb interrogating the costs incurred by both the chair and the advisory group, ranging from salaries to events, including a $3,000 lunch that Justice officials could offer little detail about.

The full exchange took a number of minutes and while fascinating and instructive was not brimming with classic newsy soundbytes. It is likely that scrutiny done well seldom is.

Of course governing-party MPs have the opportunity to ask questions too. Much like in Question Time, some are patsy questions, but in a room without ministers they can take on a different tone. Less jumping in the ring with your colleague, and more rhetorical prompts (but always answered). Questions are aimed at countering Opposition narratives or drawing out positives that officials have not raised.

Following Webb’s probing, National MP Carl Bates offered a gentle counterweight by drawing attention to positive feedback he had received from one of his constituents in Whanganui.

“I got an email the other day from one retailer on the Quay,” Bates said. “I’m interested if the sentiment she shared with me is similar to the sentiment you’re hearing from these meetings across the country. She said, ‘I was genuinely and pleasantly surprised by the amount of work happening behind the scenes to support victims of retail crime, as well as the stronger measures being put in place to hold offenders accountable. It’s encouraging to see that meaningful changes are underway and that positive progress is being made.’

In his reply, Kibblewhite said that they had no detailed surveys, so was cautious not to agree or disagree, but said that the group had been productive and had produced much advice for the Minister.

While the quotable moments extracted for news coverage from Scrutiny Week are often the hostile ones; these more audibly tedious, prescriptive hearings likely tell us far more about how our public entities performed over the past year.

To listen to The House’s coverage from scrutiny week, click the link near the top of the page.

*RNZ’s The House, with insights into Parliament, legislation and issues, is made with funding from Parliament’s Office of the Clerk.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police Minister Mark Mitchell says the former Police Commissioner’s claims he knew about allegations being made about Jevon McSkimming “absolute total nonsense”.

Mitchell said he was first informed of concerns regarding former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming on November 6, 2024.

Last month Mitchell said 36 emails containing allegations about McSkimming were sent to his office but he never saw them.

A protocol in place meant police staff in Mitchell’s office forwarded those emails directly to Police Commissioner Andrew Coster’s office.

In an interview with TVNZ’s Q+A on Sunday, Coster said there were ministers who knew more than they admitted, including the then Minister of Police Chris Hipkins and Mitchell.

He disputed Mitchell was not aware of the allegations before November last year, and claimed it had been discussed “informally” between the two throughout 2024.

Mitchell told Morning Report, he did not know anything about the allegations before November 6, 2024, and he would’ve taken action sooner if he did.

“Had Mr Coster brought forward to me the fact that Jevon McSkimming had entered into an affair that involved a big age gap, a big power imbalance, that involved creating a job for this person in the police and then her butting up against the power of the state I would have done what I did on the sixth of November.

“[It’s] absolute complete nonsense.”

Mitchell said as McSkimming was the Deputy Commissioner at the time it would not be something he would have a “causal conversation” with Coster about.

“It’s a very serious matter. I take really seriously my job about protecting people…”

More to come…

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Te Pāti Māori’s leadership is adamant the annual general meeting was a “magnificent day for” the movement, despite issues around the decision to expel an MP and the party presidency remaining unresolved.

The meeting showed the party was “anything but a party in disarray” says Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere as he batted away suggestions he should stand down, with one person in attendance calling for everyone to “eat a humble kumara.”

During the pōwhiri, the party leadership was asked by Ngira Simmonds whether they were the right people to unify the party.

Another member asked Tamihere during the AGM whether he would be willing to step down if it was for the good of the party.

In attendance were Māori leaders such as Dame Naida Glavish and Taame Iti. Expelled MP Tākuta Ferris was not at the meeting.

Speaking to reporters after the AGM, which ran much later than expected after general business was opened up after all, Tamihere said he’d stand down if there was a “good reason” to stand down.

“If it’s a reason that a few people don’t like me, that doesn’t cut the mustard.

“You got to have reasons about policy, about program, about politics, not personality. Just because you don’t like somebody doesn’t mean to say you should guillotine them.”

The last minute reinstatement of Mariameno Kapa-Kingi as a member to the party, following her expulsion alongside former member Tākuta Ferris, meant remits and resolutions in relation to the court ruling were unable to be discussed at the AGM.

That included the decisions to expel two MPs, as well as the party presidency. Those issues will be addressed in substantive hearings in February, on the eve of Waitangi Day celebrations.

In terms of welcoming Kapa-Kingi back to the party, Tamihere said it was an issue of trust, which had been “so badly broken” that it was a difficult issue in his mind.

“It might not be in others.”

Newest Te Pāti Māori MP Oriini Kaipara greeted Kapa-Kingi warmly on the day and both stood to sing in support of Simmonds after he spoke.

But Tamihere maintained the party didn’t want to welcome Kapa-Kingi back into the fold.

Co-leader Rawiri Waititi wouldn’t be drawn on whether it was nice to see Kapa-Kingi on the day, “it was nice to see everybody”.

He said the AGM was about the “people,” and the people “turned out today”, and we’re “really pleased” with the outcome.

Ngarewa-Packer added they thrive in face-to-face spaces.

“We had up to nine hours with our people. Some of the busiest people in their marae turned up to make sure their movement heard them,” Ngarewa-Packer said.

Tamihere said the party didn’t file the proceedings, but as someone who was experienced around litigation, “we just go with the system.”

Instead, the AGM reset the “confidence” of the majority of the electorates he said.

“Because they’re the ones that turned up in big numbers, and they felt that they were being adversely impacted by not the leadership, but by the conduct of others.”

In response to Simmonds’ criticism, co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said Simmonds had come up to her and Waititi after the meeting and told them he had 100 percent confidence in their leadership.

“That’s a strong position, and I think that’s the significance of today, is actually being able to eyeball each other and ask the hard questions.”

A resolution was passed during the meeting in support of the co-leaders.

Kapa-Kingi told RNZ it had been a great day to “show face” as the Te Pāti Māori MP for Te Tai Tokerau “who never left”.

She said her electorate reaffirmed the resolutions settled upon by people in Te Tai Tokerau at their Kohewhata hui “some weeks ago.”

But there was a sense of frustation by some as they made their way out of the hui that it had been a waste of time, given key issues couldn’t be discussed.

Hemi Piripi from Te Tai Tokerau told RNZ he believed there was still a lot of division.

“There’s a lot of ‘he said, she said thing’.

“Everyone just needs to eat a humble kumara.”

He said there was a generation who were watching the “waka go down” and he wanted to float the waka and relash it so Māori could come together.

He wanted the president to step down, for the executive to be looked at and for a rotation in leadership roles to be considered.

“He does need to go for the waka to start rising again.”

The AGM was closed to media, but over a number of hours there was intense discussion, with cheers and boos heard at various times and many members leaving as the day went on.

Te Tai Tonga also raised the expulsion of Tākuta Ferris. The electorate had invited the leadership to meet this coming weekend, but Tamihere said he was unavailable due to the family memorial for his son who had passed.

During the AGM, Tamihere gave a speech which Waatea news obtained a copy of.

In it he said “no MP is above the Party. No MP is below the Party.”

“Without discipline – we descend into anarchy. With discipline – we ascend into power,” he said.

Tamihere said he wasn’t concerned at how this would impact the party at the next election, and dismissed suggestions not reinstating the expelled MPs would risk losing support for the party.

There was “time on our side” to repair something based on feelings and personality as opposed to good process, policy and programming.

“It’ll be definitely sorted out before the election.”

Furthermore, Ngarewa-Packer spoke of those who turned up to “make sure their movement heard them, their movement saw them.”

“Their movement felt their absolute unity in going forward and taking this government out.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster says he briefed both former Police Minister Chris Hipkins and current Police Minister Mark Mitchell about allegations being made about Jevon McSkimming from a woman he had an affair with.

Mitchell said he stands by all his statements and that Coster’s “recollections are wrong”.

“If Mr Coster’s focus is on relitigating matters, there are legal recourses available to him and if he truly believes what he is saying, nothing prevents him pursuing those.”

Hipkins has been approached for comment. He told TVNZ’s Q+A he had no recollection of the conversation.

RNZ revealed on Wednesday Coster had resigned as chief executive of the Social Investment Agency after the Independent Police Conduct Authority’s damning report into police’s response to allegations of sexual offending by former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming.

Coster has not responded to several interview requests from RNZ. In a statement on Wednesday he said his resignation was “a result of my acceptance of full responsibility for the shortcomings” identified in the IPCA’s report.

In an told interview with TVNZ’s Q+A on Sunday, Coster said there were ministers who knew more than they admitted.

He said he briefed the then Minister of Police Chris Hipkins in 2022 as he felt it was important he knew what he knew.

He said he told Hipkins that McSkimming told him he had an affair with a “much younger woman” and that the relationship “soured badly” and she was now emailing “all sorts of people with allegations about him”.

He said the briefing was in 2022 in the back of a car while the two men were travelling in the South Island.

He said he was unable to prove the conversation occurred.

“It’s simply my account.”

He said a big reflection for him was to take better notes, adding he wrongly assumed people would not “run for the hills”.

He also disputed that Mitchell was not aware of the allegations before November last year.

“There is no way I was only just telling him about this in my last couple of weeks in the job,” he said.

“We had discussed this informally through 2024…”

He did not have the exact date, but said it was an “informal conversation” in the same terms as his conversation with Hipkins.

Asked why Hipkins and Mitchell would deny that, he said: “you would have to ask them”.

“All I can say is no-one wants to be close to this.”

Coster said he was not saying others acted inappropriately, but that they knew more than they have admitted.

“There doesn’t appear to have been a full disclosure of the conversations,” he said.

Asked why he should be trusted, Coster replied: “I acted honestly, I acted in good faith, my judgements were wrong and I accept that.”

In response to Coster’s allegations, Mitchell said it was “disappointing that following his resignation, that came with an apology to police less than a week ago, Mr Coster is trying to deflect and relitigate matters”.

“I firmly stand by all my statements and facts presented in relation to the IPCA report. Mr Coster’s recollections are wrong.

“I want to make very clear that Mr Coster never briefed me, either formally or informally, about Jevon McSkimming and Ms Z prior to 6 November 2024. I would note his recollections of disclosures in the IPCA report were often found to be inconsistent and unreliable.

“If Mr Coster’s focus is on relitigating matters, there are legal recourses available to him and if he truly believes what he is saying, nothing prevents him pursuing those.”

Mitchell said that as a Government, the focus was on “implementing the recommendations of the IPCA report to ensure this cannot happen again”.

‘My intention was for this to be done properly’

Coster also said he did not pressure staff to get an investigation done in a week so as to not impact McSkimming’s chances of being commissioner.

He said he did not believe it was a complicated investigation to resolve.

“I was really saying let’s make sure we balance the need for him to make an application if he chooses to do that…”

He said at that time McSkimming was a victim of criminal harassment.

The IPCA report said all attendees of meetings regarding the investigation reported feeling pressure.

“I accept that I was very keen to make sure the investigation was moved forward in a timely manner. I wasn’t asking for a shortcut… I had an understanding that in the end it was a pretty simple question of where does the truth lie in this, is there sufficient evidence in the allegations.

“My intention was for this to be done properly.”

He said the “worst case scenario” was if the allegations were false “the ultimate victimisation of Jevon for criminal harassment was missing out” on applying for Commissioner.

‘A trusted colleague’

Coster said the McSkimming he knew during his time in police was a talented police officer and a “trusted colleague” who got on well with people, was innovative and good at his job.

He said he was “gutted” when he read in the media that objectionable material had allegedly been found on his devices.

Asked if he was friends with McSkimming, he said the two “weren’t mates”.

Near the end of the interview, Coster was asked about the comments from Police Commissioner Richard Chambers about the IPCA report and the leadership at the time.

Coster said it was “tempting” when you take over someone’s job “to say everything that went before was broken and wrong, because it creates a great platform to come in and fix it”.

“The truth is, in leadership you stand on the shoulders of others. You build on what others have done before you. And that was my approach, you know, I was quick to acknowledge the good work that was done by the previous Commissioner, to keep what was good and to build on it. That’s the way I would prefer to lead.”

RNZ earlier reported former Deputy Police Commissioner Tania Kura visited McSkimming while he faced charges of possessing child sexual exploitation and bestiality material. McSkimming pleaded guilty earlier this month.

RNZ understands she visited him with Police Assistant Commissioner Sam Hoyle. It’s understood Kura asked Hoyle to visit McSkimming with her. It’s understood the purpose of the visit was to do a welfare check on McSkimming.

Coster told TVNZ’S Q+A that Kura was a “good person”.

“When Tania says I went there to check on his well being, that’s what she was doing. And you know, it’s very tempting to treat someone who has been found to be doing what he was doing as a non-human.

“He was still the responsibility of New Zealand police in terms of his wellbeing, until he wasn’t, and I accept the way it looks and and a risk averse leader would say, you know, stuff him I’m not I’m not going to see him. You know, he can do what he wants. You know, I think she was trying to do the right thing for someone who, at the end of this is still a human being.”

Coster said the impact of the IPCA report and the fallout had been “hugely damaging”.

“It has caused me to step away from work that I believe in deeply, and I think is really important for our country. So, yeah, it’s a massive impact.

“I come at this, though, from a perspective that’s broader than me and my reputation. I know what I did. I know why I did it. I’m able to sleep well at night. You know, my faith is tremendously important to me and is an anchor where I my identity doesn’t come from what people think of me from my work, what I do, it comes from where I see myself standing in relation to the faith that I have.”

IPCA’s damning findings

The IPCA said that when McSkimming disclosed his affair to Coster in 2020, the former Police Commissioner should “at a minimum have asked more questions”.

“This is particularly the case given Deputy Commissioner McSkimming had told him that the female was aggrieved and was sending harassing and threatening emails to him and his community.”

Then in 2023, while a member of the interview panel for the statutory Deputy Commissioner appointment process, Coster “failed to disclose” to the Public Service Commission his knowledge of McSkimming’s relationship which had subsequently led to the emails.

“This failure clearly fell below what a reasonable person would have expected of a person in his position. Notwithstanding his recollection that the matter was already known to the panel, the panel members we spoke to were firm in their recollection that Commissioner Coster did not raise it, and that at that time they did not otherwise know about it. We have seen documentary evidence from the PSC that supports that view.”

In January 2024, Coster due to the number and nature of emails and concern for McSkimming’s welfare, Coster directed Deputy Commissioner Tania Kura to seek the input of the Fixated Threat Assessment Centre (FTAC), as well as consider mental health support for the woman.

An investigation into the woman, referred to as Ms Z, began February 2024 and she was charged under the Harmful Digital Communications Act in May 2024.

The charge against the woman was withdrawn in the Wellington District Court in September because McSkimming did not wish to give evidence.

The IPCA accepted that Coster entrusted Kura to commission the FTAC’s involvement, and to adequately respond to any recommendations they made.

“However, he was the Deputy Commissioner’s direct supervisor in terms of overall operations. Ultimately, he bore the responsibility for managing organisational risks.

“Given the very significant risk this matter posed to the organisation, even if the allegations were false, he should have given it higher priority and assured himself that the FTAC report was being handled appropriately. We cannot escape the conclusion that his preconception of Deputy Commissioner McSkimming as the only potential victim clouded his decision-making.”

Coster’s disclosure to the Public Service Commission on 8 October 2024, during the interim Commissioner appointment process also “fell well short of what a reasonable person would expect, given what he knew at the time.”

“At about the same time, he also inappropriately tried to influence the National Integrity Unit’s investigation into Ms Z’s complaint and to persuade the IPCA that the matter could be resolved quickly.

“While Commissioner Coster focused on the need to afford natural justice to Deputy Commissioner McSkimming, he did not sufficiently consider the injustice that would arise if there was indeed truth to Ms Z’s allegations.”

The IPCA said the influence was “most stark” in his letter to the IPCA on 22 October 2024 and in his meetings with staff on 30 October and 4 November 2024, during which he “sought to bring a serious criminal investigation to an unduly rapid conclusion so that it did not impact on a job application process”.

‘I acted in good faith’

In a statement to RNZ on Wednesday, Coster said his resignation was “a result of my acceptance of full responsibility for the shortcomings” identified in the Independent Police Conduct Authority’s report.

“I regret the impact on the young woman at the centre of this matter and sincerely apologise to her for the distress caused.

“I accept that I was too ready to trust and accept at face value Deputy Commissioner McSkimming’s disclosure and explanations to me. I should have been faster and more thorough in looking into the matter.”

Coster acknowledged he should have more fully investigated the allegations when they were brought to his attention, “rather than assuming that their previous disclosure to senior Police staff a few years earlier would have resulted in an investigation if necessary”.

“It is clear that Police’s handling of the whole matter was lacking and that I was ultimately responsible for those matters. It was sobering to read of a number of missed opportunities which should have proceeded differently and more appropriately.”

Coster welcomed Sir Brian’s acknowledgement that the report made no finding of corruption or cover-up, nor did the IPCA find any evidence of any actions involving officers consciously doing the wrong thing or setting out to undermine the integrity of the organisation.

“I made decisions honestly. I acted in good faith. I sought to take all important factors into account with the information I had at the time. While it is not possible to alter past events, I am prepared to take responsibility – I got this wrong.

“I want to apologise to all members of the NZ Police. They work hard every day to keep our communities safe. I know they have been adversely affected by these events.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Green Party is criticising the $8 million cost to set up the government’s traffic-light system for beneficiaries, which introduced new non-financial sanctions, calling it “smoke and mirrors”.

The Greens have drawn attention to the number, after Ministry of Social Development (MSD) bosses revealed, during Scrutiny Week, that just 12 people had received non-financial sanctions in the six months they’ve been available.

Nearly 13,000 sanctions were issued in total in the September quarter this year.

Green social development spokesperson Ricardo Menendez March said Minister Louise Upston had been “wasting everyone’s time” and money to create more layers of bureaucracy and “effectively unworkable” new sanctions.

Non-financial sanction options are mandatory community work or money management payment cards.

“These were supposed to be a less punitive way of addressing people’s engagement with Work and Income,” Menendez March said. “Clearly, the minister has instead chosen to continue a punitive approach.”

He said the new system merely added another interface for people to interact with, rather than meaningfully assisting people into employment.

“The only thing the traffic light has told us is that most beneficiaries are complying with their obligations… it doesn’t actually solve any problems.”

In response, Upston told RNZ the traffic-light system was “working well”, as it helped people understand their obligations.

In a statement, MSD spokesperson Graham Allpress said the new regime was intended to help beneficiaries avoid sanctions by meeting their obligations, of which and more than 98 percent currently were.

“We invested $8.11 million into a variety of changes, which make it quicker, simpler and easier for our clients to check whether they’re doing what they agreed to do.

“It’s working as intended. People are engaging with us more often.”

Allpress said the small number of non-financial sanctions was because they could be applied only in specific circumstances.

For example, to be eligible, the individual would need to be in case management or have dependent children, fail an obligation just once, and then meet with a case manager within five days of that failure.

Appearing at a select committee on Wednesday, during parliament’s scrutiny week, MSD chief executive Debbie Power denied those circumstances were too narrow, given just 12 people had received non-financial sanctions, saying, “We’re just starting”.

Power said she had heard from the front-line that staff and clients appreciated the transparency of the system’s colour arrangements to better understand what was expected of them.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

The reinstatement of an expelled MP raises serious questions for Te Pāti Māori voters ahead of next year’s election, political experts say.

An interim high court ruling has returned Mariameno Kapa-Kingi as a member of the party, after she was ousted alongside Tākuta Ferris in early November, following a period of internal conflict.

She will now attend this weekend’s Annual General Meeting.

Associate professor in politics at Victoria University, Lara Greaves, said voters might be unwilling to back a party in such an unstable state.

“A lot of their voters and a lot of Māori voters would, I think, be fairly tolerant of there being like internal conflict or there being instability, but this has just been like the most unstable we’ve seen a political party really ever be,” she said.

“This one’s been spectacular, this blow-up.”

Te Pāti Māori has acknowledged the judge’s decision and said it looked forward to bringing the issue to its members at this weekend’s meeting.

Greaves said says the blow-up was almost certain to be a topic of conversation among attendees.

“The thing for Kapa-Kingi is that that shows a lot of courage to show up to a party that’s tried to boot you out like that, so I think most people could probably empathise with someone in that sort of work situation, having to show up, but yeah it definitely does seem like Kapa-Kingi and Ferris are, they’re sticking to trying to change the party internally.”

In his ruling, Justice Paul Radich said there was an argument that Kapa-Kingi’s expulsion was based on “mistaken facts” and “procedural irregulaties”. The matter would be revisited at a full hearing in February.

Former Māori Party MP Te Ururoa Flavell said the decision was significant.

“There’s enough there, even in his statements, to suggest that the processes that were used were questionable and, therefore, it’s a bit of an indictment on, of the process that’s been used thus far.”

Flavell said the party had its work cut out for it to restore confidence among voters.

“A lot of damage has been done in what’s happened over these last couple of months, between individuals, for the party as a whole. I think our people and indeed those who are supporters of the Māori Party want this issue put to bed as smartly as possible and for the MPs to focus on the current issues of the day.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand