Category: Public Media

Source: Radio New Zealand

It’s not something many of us are born with, being okay with uncertainty.

Climate scientist Dr Tamsin Edwards has made it her day job.

She’s listed among hundreds of authors from all over the world on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report, and is about to begin work on the seventh. She’s given climate change talks at Glastonbury, and appears on the BBC Radio 4 podcast “39 Ways to Save the Planet”.

That, she says, is one of the things she’s most proud of – giving people tangible solutions to help the planet, and ease that sense of dread.

She’s in New Zealand this month to give this year’s S.T. Lee Lecture, on the topic of uncertainty around sea-level rise in Antarctica.

“How do we figure out what our error bars are on our predictions? If we’re trying to think about the future, what’s the range of different possible futures that we might face?”

Despite New Zealanders’ affinity with the great white continent, Edwards explains scientists now think far-off places like Greenland are more likely to affect sea-level rise around our shores.

“When you lose ice from Antarctica, the local sea level right around Antarctica actually goes down because it’s no longer pulled up by the sort of gravitational attraction of the ice sheet,” Edwards says.

“Instead, when that water goes into the global oceans and gets spread around, it affects maybe the northern hemisphere more. So [New Zealand] would be affected by Greenland more.”

Sea level rise is “a very complicated area of science”, she says. “It’s lots of different disciplines working together.”

Communicating all of the different aspects of the public, even to other scientists, can be quite complicated. Small changes in averages – average sea level rise, average global temperature – can translate into huge changes in extreme weather and coastal flooding.

“If you increase sea levels globally by perhaps half a metre, that doesn’t sound much, right? You just think, oh, half a metre, that’s knee level – you wouldn’t think that would be too bad.

“But the knock-on effect on coastal flooding can make it hundreds of times more likely to flood. A one-in-100 year event suddenly becomes something that could happen every year.”

She says she feels a responsibility to communicate uncertainty. Science is not a book of facts but a living body of knowledge, constantly evolving.

“I think it’s really important to say, ‘Well, look, we can’t know everything, some things are hard to pin down, but here’s the stuff we are confident about’.

“Maybe we know the direction of travel, but we don’t always know how quickly we’re going to get there.”

The Paris Agreement set a target to limit warming to 1.5 degrees – does Edwards think that’s still possible?

“I think it was always going to be really difficult,” she says – but she urges people not to think of it as a cliff-edge.

“It’s not something where we say, okay, if we get to 1.6 degrees of warming, everything is burning, everything is extinct,” she says. “But at the same time, we’re already seeing effects on our weather at 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 degrees. So it’s important to limit warming.”

With 15 years of science communication up her sleeve, she’s discovered most people aren’t motivated by fear – they need to know they can still make change.

The early days of discourse concerning climate change were “scary”, she says, punctuated by verbal attacks on twitter, gendered abuse, and public disagreements between scientists: “Should we be talking about uncertainty or should we be focusing just on certainties?”

“The conversation has really moved away from that,” Edwards says. “Climate science and the need to act on climate change is mainstream.”

“It almost feels like if you were pushing on a door really, really hard and then suddenly someone opens it and you kind of fall in the room,” she laughs.

When it comes to making change, she says people should never underestimate the value of pester power. “Think about how you can push on the levers of other people who are more powerful than you.”

She’s expecting work on the seventh IPCC report to be intense, just as it was with the sixth, published in 2023.

“And what people probably don’t realise is that when we work on the IPCC reports, it’s completely voluntary,” she says. “There were times I was doing maybe a 50 hour week of teaching and 20 hours on the IPCC over the weekend.”

Each chapter could have thousands of review comments, and everything needed to be considered, answered, and potentially included in the copy.

“It was quite a spreadsheet,” Edwards says.

The seventh report is due out in 2029, and work is already underway to engage hundreds of experts and divide their collective knowledge neatly into chapters, in one of the biggest collaboration efforts in science.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Taranaki Regional Council says New Plymouth’s Lake Rotomanu will be closed to motorised boats from tomorrow after the discovery of an invasive fresh water clam.

It’s the first time the clam, Corbicula fluminea, has been found outside of the Waikato River and Lake Taupō Aqua Park.

Taranaki Regional Council’s Environment Services Manager Steve Ellis said it was unknown how the clams got into the lake, but the focus now was making sure they did not spread to other Taranaki lakes or rivers.

“We are working closely with local partners and Biosecurity New Zealand, and we will have robust plans in place to deal with this Corbicula incursion,” he said.

New Plymouth District Council will close the lake to motorised boats, which are at the highest risk of spreading clams, from Wednesday.

Other’s on the lake will be required to thoroughly check, clean and dry all gear before leaving the lake shore, and additional signage will be put up by the weekend.

Staff will be at the lake to ensure the rules are followed and to advise people how to correctly clean their gear.

“The initial closure of Lake Rotomanu allows us time to gather all the information, while managing the risk from motorised boats,” Ellis said.

He was urging those who had been on Lake Rotomanu or other waterways to check, clean and dry everything that had been in contact with the water before moving between waterways.

“We appreciate it is coming into summer, and the lake is a favourite spot for many boaties. But they will understand how important it is we act quickly – Corbicula can take over a waterway and have long-term effects on not just recreation, but also the environment.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

New figures from ACC show 11 claims for babies or toddlers with carrier related injuries in 2024, more than twice the number than the year before.

There has also been eight claims so far this year, however there are no specific details of the incidents.

It has prompted renewed calls for the government to introduce official safety standards for baby carriers, wraps and slings.

It also follows a rise in social media videos often showing babies snuggly strapped to an adults fronts, in some cases with their faces and airways obscured.

In 2019 in Australia a three week old baby suffocated in a cloth sling, where he was completely cocooned in fabric, carried by his mum as she waited for his check-up at health clinic.

Louise Tanguay, founder of The Sleep Store and community organisation Babywearing Aotearoa believes there are many people wearing carriers incorrectly.

She told Checkpoint it is concerning to see these carriers used in an unsafe way.

“They’re choosing carriers that are too big for the size of the baby, or they’re wearing the carrier low on their body, so when they lift up the front of it, it goes right over the baby’s head.”

“The carrier is not an unsafe carrier, but the way it’s being worn is unsafe and potentially covering baby’s airways.”

However Tanguay said she was also concerned about the lack of standards to prevent unsafe carriers being sold.

She said this included models imported from overseas, as well as knock off carriers being sold in New Zealand.

“It is very common in New Zealand for people to look at Facebook marketplace for cheap carriers, they’re on a tight budget and they want a name brand carrier,”

“If the price looks too good to be true, then it’s too good to be true – most of the ERGO baby carriers that we’ve seen bought on marketplace are fake and potentially quite unsafe… the fabric can be toxic, the buckles are not tested, they don’t come with proper instructions.”

Many overseas models have also been found to be unsafe, with some determined to be potentially fatal.

While using a carrier is great for calming newborns, bonding and being able to carry on with everyday life, Tanguay said many parents are being caught out by not knowing how to use the carrier, or not following instructions.

“Often we see now too on social media, there’s people of influence or just other content creators showing carriers worn in a way that’s unsafe.”

“There is this inconsistent message of what safe carrying looks like because of people not taking the time to check that their baby’s airways are clear and that the carrier is below the baby’s neck leaving fresh air for baby to breathe.”

She said the best way to use a carrier was by putting the baby where you would when holding them in your arms, high up on the chest.

“Hold baby high on the chest, hold baby close enough to kiss… against the firm part, not down in the soft, squishy part of your chest,”

“Then put the carrier on nice and high and then tighten it so babies held securely and do a good check that your baby’s face is clear of all fabric – fabric from your clothing, fabric from the carrier not putting the carrier over the baby’s head, that’s a really good place to start.”

The baby’s nose and mouth should be visible at all times.

Tanguay believes there is a lack of safety information provided to families about how to safely carry their baby.

“People do childbirth education classes or see a midwife or see a well child provider and there’s either inconsistent or no safe baby wearing advice provided in a lot of those spaces.”

She said there should be some sort of official safety standard around carriers, however it doesn’t need to be unique to New Zealand.

“We’re not asking for New Zealand to have a ridiculous specific standard just to New Zealand because that just adds crazy compliance costs to businesses and pushes the price of products up, or makes them unavailable.”

“I would just like to see those international standards recognised here so when a family goes to a shop or orders a carrier online, they at least have the basic safety checks covered that the buckles have been tested, that it has good instructions, that it comes with the mandatory warning label.”

“Then it also gives the government agencies the ability to stop the importing of unsafe carriers that we do see coming into New Zealand.”

There is no plan by the Government to introduce regulations for baby carriers.

Consumer Affairs Minister Scott Simpson urges people to follow manufacturers’ instructions on safe use, and said retailers, online sellers and manufacturers are responsible for making sure the products they supply are safe.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Far-right US influencer Candace Owens’ Auckland event next year has been cancelled, after the commentator was earlier denied entry into Australia.

Owens lost her bid to enter Australia after the country’s highest court backed the government’s decision to deny her a visa over concerns she could “incite discord” in the community.

The NZ event’s venue Trusts Arena confirmed the event was cancelled some months ago, due to its controversial nature.

Trusts Arena chief executive Marcus Reynolds said the event had no ongoing association with the venue.

“We’ve reached out to the promoter and asked for The Trusts Arena details to be removed for their event page,” he said.

Owens, who is known for controversial views including downplaying the holocaust and claiming Muslims started slavery, was denied entry to Australia in October 2024 after she announced the speaking tour.

Groups, including Young Labour, urged the government to also ban her from New Zealand.

She had an application for an Entertainers Work Visa denied in November 2024, and had requested ministerial intervention.

At the time, Associate Immigration Minister Chris Penk said the decision to overturn New Zealand’s ban was made after considering representations made to him, including the importance of free speech.

Promoters Rocksman told RNZ that Owens was “very keen” to come to New Zealand and continue her tour.

“This will likely be mid-year 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

Far-right US influencer Candace Owens’ Auckland event next year has been cancelled, after the commentator was earlier denied entry into Australia.

Owens lost her bid to enter Australia after the country’s highest court backed the government’s decision to deny her a visa over concerns she could “incite discord” in the community.

The NZ event’s venue Trusts Arena confirmed the event was cancelled some months ago, due to its controversial nature.

Trusts Arena chief executive Marcus Reynolds said the event had no ongoing association with the venue.

“We’ve reached out to the promoter and asked for The Trusts Arena details to be removed for their event page,” he said.

Owens, who is known for controversial views including downplaying the holocaust and claiming Muslims started slavery, was denied entry to Australia in October 2024 after she announced the speaking tour.

Groups, including Young Labour, urged the government to also ban her from New Zealand.

She had an application for an Entertainers Work Visa denied in November 2024, and had requested ministerial intervention.

At the time, Associate Immigration Minister Chris Penk said the decision to overturn New Zealand’s ban was made after considering representations made to him, including the importance of free speech.

Promoters Rocksman told RNZ that Owens was “very keen” to come to New Zealand and continue her tour.

“This will likely be mid-year 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

Former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster has been placed on leave from his role as chief executive of the Social Investment Agency, following the release of a damning Independent Police Conduct Authority report.

The report found serious misconduct at the highest levels of police, including Coster, over how police responded to accusations of sexual offending by former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming.

The allegations arose from an affair between McSkimming and a woman who was a non-sworn police employee at the time.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) report says when police did eventually refer the woman’s claims to the authority, several months after it was recommended they do so, senior police attempted to influence the investigation.

Coster took on the role as Secretary for Social Investment in November 2024, after stepping down as Police Commissioner.

Public Service Minister Judith Collins said it was agreed between Coster and the Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche that Coster would be on leave while Sir Brian undertook his own investigation.

She said the report showed a “massive” failure of leadership, and while it was now an employment matter, she said the report spoke for itself.

“If this was me being named in this report, I would be ashamed of myself. And I think that’s what I can say. I would be deeply ashamed.”

She was unable to put a timeline on when the investigation could be completed.

Social investment minister Nicola Willis said she was “shocked and appalled” by the IPCA report’s findings.

“I have conveyed my views to Public Service Commissioner Brian Roche. The matter now sits with him as Mr Coster’s employer,” she said.

More to come

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Two people have been injured after a vehicle crashed into house in Palmerston North.

Officers were called to the scene on John F Kennedy Drive about 5pm.

Police said emergeny services were at the scene and the road may be blocked for some time.

They urged members of the public to avoid the area and expect delays.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

“The public need to have trust in the police,” say government ministers, who will appoint an Inspector General of Police, after a damning report into handling of the Jevon McSkimming case.

An investigation into police handling of complaints against the former Deputy Police Commissioner – released today – was critical of the actions of former Commissioner Andrew Coster.

McSkimming resigned as the country’s second most powerful cop in May amid separate investigations by the Independent Police Conduct Authority and police.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA)’s report says when police did eventually refer the woman’s claims to the authority several months after it was recommended they do so, senior police attempted to influence the investigation.

Public Service Minister Judith Collins said the report’s findings were “extremely concerning and disappointing”, and it found serious issues within the former police executive.

Speaking to media early this evening, Collins said it was “very clear” the woman at the centre of the complaint was failed by senior police.

“What is also clear is that this cannot continue to happen.”

She described the events as a “massive failure of leadership”.

“This could have been avoided if senior police at the time had acted with integrity, called out bad behaviour when they saw it, and promptly investigated allegations when they were made.”

She said the government was “acting decisively” in response and will implement the strongest statutory oversight mechanism available, an Inspector General of Police.

She said the public needed to have trust in the police and leaders in the public sector.

“And they have a right to expect that when things go wrong, people are held to account, and that is what we are doing.”

Coster is now the chief executive of the Social Investment Agency, but is currently on leave from that role.

Collins said the Public Service Commissioner and Coster agreed he would go on leave while the Public Service Commissioner carried out his own investigation.

Collins said it was currently an employment matter and cannot comment further, but said the report speaks for itself.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell said he expected police to uphold the “highest levels of integrity, transparency and accountability”.

“The report highlights significant flaws in the decision making, judgement and actions of a group of individuals, including those at the top of the previous Police executive.

“Their actions have raised serious concerns about integrity and culture within the then executive,” he said.

Mitchell said at the centre of this, a woman had been “let down by the former police executive and the system”.

“I cannot express how frustrated and disappointed I have been since becoming aware of the situation.”

The ministers said the report raised questions around whether there was “sufficient independent oversight” of the police to prevent these issues happening again. It also raised questions about “probity checking” of McSkimming by the Public Service Commission (PSC) when he was appointed Deputy Police Commissioner in 2023.

The matter was “picked up” during the Police Commissioner recruitment process in 2024, and McSkimming was suspended, then resigned.

Collins said New Zealanders will understandably have questions around “how McSkimming was able to be considered for roles at the highest level of Police given what has come to light.” She said the PSC was taking these concerns “very seriously”.

The IPCA made 13 recommendations for police and two for the government regarding police oversight. Collins said all had been accepted.

“It is imperative New Zealanders have confidence in our police. That is why we are choosing the most robust level of oversight available to the government,” said Collins.

Mitchell said police have accepted all the recommendations in the report, including “strengthening integrity and conduct processes, amending the code of conduct to provide for mandatory reporting, and refreshing integrity training.”

He emphasised that all those in the executive who were involved in the case at the time have now left the police. He also emphasised the report findings should not be seen as a “reflection on our police service as a whole.”

Mitchell said it was important to emphasise the report findings should not be seen as a reflection on our police service as a whole.

“I commend the staff highlighted in the review as having showed exceptional moral courage. They have done themselves, their colleagues and their organisation proud.

“It is imperative New Zealanders have trust and confidence in the police. That’s why the government is taking these findings extremely seriously.”

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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 Police Commssioner says police showed a “lack of leadership” in how they responded to accusations of sexual offending by former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming. A report by the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) was released on Tuesday, detailing serious misconduct,

Shortly after the report was made public, Police Commissioner Richard Chambers released this statement:

The findings of the IPCA review into the Police handling of complaints against Jevon McSkimming show inexcusable conduct by former senior leaders of NZ Police.

The events and findings set out in the IPCA report made for appalling reading and showed a total lack of leadership and integrity at the highest levels of Police.

I was shocked by the report’s account of departures in 2023 and 2024 from the expected processes for dealing both with sexual assault complaints and with investigations into police officers.

The usual integrity checks and balances were bypassed, there was interference from the highest levels, and the ambitions of a senior police officer were put above the interests of a vulnerable woman.

I am apologising to the woman at the centre of this for the repeated early failures in following the proper processes for investigating this matter by those at such a senior level of Police.

She was ignored and badly let down.

That was unacceptable.

It was not until late 2024 that an investigation was set up to properly investigate those claims.

That should have happened from the start.

I want to acknowledge those senior police staff who did stand up and challenge what was happening here.

I thank them for the courage, leadership, and integrity they showed in doing so.

The events in the report are a kick in the guts for the 15,000 women and men of NZ Police who turn up to work every day and night to serve New Zealanders and keep them safe.

That has angered me.

It was not those staff who were found wanting here.

It was a failing of leadership.

The actions and attitudes set out in the report are inexcusable and show a disrespect and disregard for what NZ Police stands for.

The report is thorough and convincing, and I accept the recommendations and intent of them.

My leadership team will meet to develop a plan to address those recommendations.

The processes for complaints against senior Police leaders were too easily ignored or bypassed here, despite attempts by some staff to ensure they were adhered to.

That is of concern and I agree extra safeguards are needed.

I welcome the IPCA’s recommendations and government decisions to achieve that.

Most of those involved in the report are no longer staff of NZ Police.

I have appointed an independent King’s Counsel to undertake employment investigations where required.

The report’s other recommendations are relevant to other work I already have underway to strengthen integrity.

I am currently undertaking an extensive refresh of the Police Executive and wider leadership, including the appointment of two statutory deputy commissioners and new assistant commissioners.

The IPCA recommendations to strengthen the role of the Integrity and Conduct Unit will form part of that refresh.

I have started revising the Police Code of Conduct, aimed at strengthening accountability.

I recently ordered an immediate uplift to the Police National Integrity Unit, adding six investigators.

That unit handles investigations into police staff.

Earlier this year, I also invited the Public Service Commission to conduct a Performance Improvement Review into NZ Police, focusing on integrity and conduct.

It is the first such review of NZ Police since 2012 and is aimed at positioning Police for the future.

The absolute worst outcome of this would be if anyone did not feel safe in reporting sexual assault to Police, or did not think Police would listen and investigate thoroughly.

I want to reassure you that is not the case.

What happened here will dismay and anger the dedicated specialist investigators around the country who put everything into their work trying to hold perpetrators of sexual violence to account and keep people safe.

I know some people will question whether Police have learned the lessons of the past after reading this report.

Over many years, Police has put a lot of resource and effort into developing and implementing very robust processes for dealing with sexual violence complaints.

Our specialist adult sexual assault teams are highly trained and dedicated.

One of the most disappointing things about this report was that a small group of senior leaders at that time elected to depart from those processes.

The attitudes on display here are not attitudes I have experienced among specialist investigation team staff, nor are they attitudes acceptable to me.

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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 scathing report by the police watchdog has found serious misconduct at the highest levels of police including former Commissioner Andrew Coster over how police responded to accusations of sexual offending by former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming.

The allegations arose from an affair between McSkimming and a woman who was a non-sworn police employee at the time.

Read the full IPCA report here

The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) report says when police did eventually refer the woman’s claims to the authority, several months after it was recommended they do so, senior police attempted to influence the investigation.

According to a summary of the report: “Those attempts were perceived by some others within police as an attempt to bring the investigation to a rapid and premature conclusion so as not to intersect with the Commissioner appointment process and jeopardise Mr McSkimming’s prospects of being appointed as the next Commissioner of Police.”

A series of other allegations regarding misconduct by McSkimming have also been revealed ,including that he misused a police credit card, made use of police property to further a sexual relationship, and threatened to provide an intimate visual recording to other people if the woman made a complaint about him.

The IPCA concluded that the current structures and processes to protect the integrity of policing were “inadequate” and have recommended several significant changes.

McSkimming resigned as the country’s second most powerful cop in May, amid separate investigations by the Independent Police Conduct Authority and police.

Last week the 52-year-old pleaded guilty to three representative charges of possessing objectionably publications including child sexual exploitation and bestiality material. He will be sentenced next month.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority earlier announced it was investigating allegations of misconduct by McSkimming following a complaint from a member of the public.

“This comprises oversight of a police investigation into whether there has been any criminal wrongdoing by Mr McSkimming and a review of whether there has been any related non-criminal misconduct.”

It was also investigating if there was misconduct or neglect of duty by any other police officers or employees in the course of responding to the allegations.

The final report was shown to a group of people on 24 October.

It is yet to be released publicly due to a suppression order that lifted today in relation to a charge that was laid against the woman who accused McSkimming of sexual misconduct.

An affidavit filed by the IPCA in opposition to the suppression and obtained by RNZ, outlines a summary of the authority’s investigation.

The report

The affair began in 2016. McSkimming was 42 at the time, and the woman was about 20 years younger.

After the relationship ended towards the end of 2017, specific allegations against McSkimming appeared in an anonymous Facebook post in 2018.

The post, which was tagged to both police and the IPCA, warned women to be “careful of Jevon McSkimming”.

“He has previously preyed on a young female who he lured in with countless lies and manipulation – all for his sexual gain. He has admitted to this by stating he ‘used’ her and ‘treated her like shit’. He threatened to post images of her online to keep her from exposing the truth about him.”

The allegations were not picked up by police or the IPCA, because neither had systems in place at the time to identify them as a possible complaint.

However, the IPCA had identified a number of serious failings in the subsequent response to the complaints by the woman during 2023 and early 2024, before police took preliminary steps to investigate in mid 2024.

The failings included neither McSkimming nor Coster adequately disclosing to the Public Service Commission the sexual relationship between McSkimming and the woman and the allegations arising from them, during the appointment process for statutory Deputy Commissioner in early 2023.

In April 2023, further allegations apparently made by the woman were tagged to the police LinkedIn announcement that McSkimming had been appointed as a statutory Deputy Commissioner.

One post said:

“Yea should be really proud of Jevon McSkimming who cheats on his wife for years using taxpayer funded hotels and police property to do it in a way that makes him feel ‘safe’, has sexually assaulted at least one police employee on police property, threatens to destroy and ruin people when he is concerned about his behaviour being known…

“He has also taken images of someone without their consent and threatened to use the images to destroy them.”

The IPCA’s affidavit said there was no consideration of the need for an investigation.

A report by the joint Police/Health Fixated Threat Assessment Centre (FTAC) in February 2024 identified that emails allegedly sent by the woman raised potential criminal and Police Code of Conduct concerns relating to McSkimming and recommended referring them to the National Integrity Unit and IPCA with a view to possible investigation.

The emails included one from 27 December 2023 which began “what is the complaints process so that Jevon McSkimming (somehow an acting Commissioner of NZ Police) who has sexually assaulted a police employee on police property can be dismissed for misconduct?”.

An email sent on 3 January 2024 said McSkimming “creates destruction in society and even threatens to destroy people yet continues to go up the ranks in police… seems because he threatens (including legally threatens) those who he abuses physically and mentally”.

There was also an email sent on 9 February 2024 which began “If you were lied to then does that mean you consent?”.

“Jevon perhaps before you try cover up your behaviour with legal threats you should disclose to Andrew Coster your behaviour and have a look at international legal precedents classifying sex by deception as rape.”

There was also an email sent to Coster on 24 January 2024 which said:

“Next time you attend church events… make sure to ask Jevon… how many unsolicited photos he takes to try blackmail them into silence.”

However, this recommendation, which was received by a Deputy Commissioner and a Detective Superintendent, was not acted on. Instead, an investigation focused on potential offences by the woman under the Harmful Digital Communications Act.

The woman was charged in May last year with causing harm by posting digital communication in relation to more than 300 emails she allegedly sent to McSkimming’s work email address between December 2023 and April 2024. The emails included abusive and derogatory language directed towards McSkimming and other people.

The summary of facts, obtained by RNZ, said multiple emails had also been copied to Coster, Deputy Commissioner Tania Kura, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Minister of Police Mark Mitchell.

“The emails copied to other members of the Police Executive and Members of Parliament, if left unchecked, are likely to have an adverse impact on the victim’s working relationships, which includes Members of Parliament and senior government officials.

“Further they have caused him severe embarrassment and have been harmful to his reputation.”

Then, in late April 2024, three specific complaints against McSkimming were made via the Police 105 online reporting portal.

The affidavit included several extracts that purported to come from McSkimming himself but contained allegations of sexual offending by him.

They included claims that he threatened to provide an intimate visual recording to other people if the woman made a complaint about him and that he misused police resources, including a police credit card, in connection with the sexual relationship.

Once again, the IPCA found a number of serious failings in the way in which the police responded to those complaints and undertook a preliminary investigation.

The IPCA was not notified in accordance with normal processes, there was an “unacceptable delay” in initiating an investigation, which effectively did not commence until July, and the terms of reference were “inappropriately worded” and did not comply with Police Adult Sexual Assault policy.

It was not until October 2024 that police notified the IPCA and the authority said it was then that senior officers attempted to influence the investigation.

“Those attempts were perceived by some others within police as an attempt to bring the investigation to a rapid and premature conclusion so as not to intersect with the Commissioner appointment process and jeopardise McSkimming’s prospects of being appointed as the next Commissioner of Police.”

McSkimming was placed on “special leave” as the IPCA began its investigation in November.

The following month, police began a criminal investigation into that allegation. McSkimming was formally suspended on 23 December.

It was during that investigation that police found the objectionable material on his work devices and a second criminal investigation began.

The IPCA’s report did not find that the senior officers colluded in the way in which they responded to the complaints, but it did conclude that there was serious misconduct by a “significant number of very senior officers” and other senior police employees that had “undermined the integrity of the organisation as a whole”.

“Those findings were made in respect of, among others, the then Commissioner, a Deputy Commissioner, two Assistant Commissioners, and a Detective Superintendent.”

The IPCA said police failed to act on the allegations the woman made, and instead focused only on her actions.

There should have been parallel, but connected investigations. This did not occur until well after she had been charged.

“In essence, police officers and employees dealing with the matters displayed an inability to balance a proper concern for Mr McSkimming and his family in relation to the harassing emails, with the need to consider that the emails contained complaints of potential misconduct by Mr McSkimming that needed to be investigated.”

The IPCA found this partly occurred because officers “simply accepted without question the narrative presented to them by Mr McSkimming”.

It concluded that the current structures and processes to protect the integrity of policing were inadequate and had recommended that several significant changes, both internal and external to police, were required.

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

However, a suppression order on McSkimming’s identity as a complainant remained.

A hearing was held in the Wellington District Court on Tuesday where the suppression order was opposed by RNZ, NZME, the IPCA and the Crown.

McSkimming did not oppose the order being lifted.

In September, Police announced McSkimming would not be charged in relation to the allegations of sexual misconduct.

Assistant Commissioner Mike Johnson said Police had completed its investigation into allegations against a former senior police member.

“The investigation concluded that the evidential test for prosecution had not been met, therefore no charges will be laid.

Johnson said the investigation and decision not to charge were independently reviewed by a King’s Counsel and peer reviewed by a Crown Law appointed barrister.

“The investigation was thorough and led by a Detective Superintendent. It had independent engagement throughout from the IPCA and a Crown Law appointed barrister.”

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