John MacDonald: Coster has no evidence to back up his claims

Whether-or-not you saw former police commissioner Andrew Coster’s TV interview yesterday, you’ll know about the allegations he’s making.

He thinks people are running for the hills after the Jevon McSkimming scandal and aren’t telling the whole story in terms of what they knew and when they knew it.

Especially current police minister Mark Mitchell and former police minister Chris Hipkins.

Isn’t it weird that someone who served in the police for more than 25 years - who, I imagine, determined at some points during that time that there wasn’t enough evidence to prosecute - thinks he can make all sorts of accusations without one shred of evidence to prove it?

That’s what I took away from yesterday’s interview. Can you imagine the police charging anyone with an offence with zero proof or zero evidence? Yet that is exactly what Andrew Coster did yesterday.

He made these allegations that Chris Hipkins and Mark Mitchell aren’t being upfront. Then, in the next breath, admitted that he had no record or evidence to prove it.

That would be “case closed” if it was a police investigation. And, because he can’t prove it, I can’t believe him.

This is someone who spent 28 years looking for evidence of guilt. He’s got no evidence to back-up what he’s saying - so I’m not buying it.

Chris Hipkins and Mark Mitchell are both denying Coster’s claims.

Chris Hipkins says he “was never briefed on Jevon McSkimming's relationship with Ms Z during his time as minister of police or prime minister.

Andrew Coster claims he told Hipkins in 2022 in the back of a car while they were on an official trip in the South Island, when Hipkins was police minister in the Labour government.

And, Mark Mitchell is pushing back big time on Coster’s claim that he knew earlier than 6 November last year.

On Newstalk ZB this morning, he said Coster’s claims were “absolute nonsense”.

He said this morning - as he has since the Independent Police Conduct Authority report came out last month - that he first became aware on 6 November 2024, when Andrew Coster was told by the Public Service Commission to brief him on the situation.

Mitchell says he didn’t buy Coster’s narrative that McSkimming was the victim. He says he’s a father and that he pushed as much as he could as a minister to make sure the woman at the centre of all this was looked after.

So it’s “he says-he says”. But Andrew Coster has no evidence to prove his allegations so I can’t believe him.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Kerry Wood of Morning's podcast from
News Talks, he'd be.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Whether or not you saw former police Commissioner Andrew Costa's
TV interview yesterday or not you'll know about the allegations
he's making. Basically, he thinks people are running for the
hills after the jemic skimming scandal, and they're not telling
the whole story in terms of what they knew and
when they knew it, especially current Police Minister Mark Mitchell

(00:33):
and former police Minister Chris Hapkins. I'll get to them.
I'll come to them. But isn't it weird that someone
who served in the police for more than twenty five
years and who I imagine determined at some points during
that time that there wasn't enough evidence to prosecute isn't
it weird that he thinks he can make all sorts
of accusations without one shred of evidence to prove it.

(00:56):
That's what I talk away from yesterday's interview. Can you
imagine police charge one with an offense with zero proof
or zero evidence, no note, nothing yet That is exactly
what Andrew Costa did yesterday. He made these allegations about
Chris Hopkins and Mark Mitchell about them not being upfront,

(01:17):
and then in the next breath he admitted that he
had no recorder evidence that were evidence to prove it. Now,
if that was the police investigation, it would be case closed,
wouldn't it. And because he can't prove it, I can't
believe him. This is someone who spent twenty eight years
looking for evidence of guilt. He's got no evidence to

(01:39):
back up what he's saying, so I'm not buying it.
Chris Hopkins and Mark Mitchell, of course, are both denying
Coster's claims. Chris Hopkins has already said quote that he
was never briefed on Chevin Nick Skimmings's relationship with mss
Z during his time as Minister of Police org during
his time as Prime Minister. Andrew Coster claimed that he

(02:02):
told Hipkins in twenty twenty two in the back of
a car while they were on an official trip in
the South Island. That was when Chris Hopkins was Police
Minister in the Labor government, but he said nothing didn't happen.
And Mark Mitchell is pushing back big time on Costers
claim that he knew earlier than the sixth of November
last year, when he spoke to Heather this morning, might

(02:25):
have heard it. He might have heard it. He said
that Andrew Coster's claims were quote absolute nonsense, he said
this morning, as he has since the Independent Police Conduct
Authority report came out last month. He said he first
became aware on the sixth of November twenty twenty four,
when Andrew Coster was told by the Public Service Commission

(02:45):
to brief him on the situation. He says Costa didn't
do it voluntarily, he was told to do it by
the Public Service Commission. Mark Mitchell said to Heather this
morning that he didn't buy or swallow Andrew Coster's narrative
that mcskimming was the victim. He said he intervened to
try and protect the woman that Jevan mc skimming had

(03:06):
had the affair with. Who when that ended, you know,
the story started writing vitriolic emails accusing the then Deputy
Commission of being a sexual predator. But instead of investigating
the allegations, we know the story that emails were used
by police's evidence to prosecute her onto the Harmful Digital
Communications Act. And Mark Mitchell he told her this morning

(03:28):
that he's a father and that he pushed as much
as he could as a minister to make sure the
woman was looked after. The other thing that Andrew Costera
claimed in the interview is today was that he never
interfered with emails going to the police minister's office. But
Mark Mitchell said this morning that it was the commissioner's
officer did that, and it's weird that the commissioner didn't
know about it. So this is what it comes down to.

(03:51):
It comes down to, he says, He says, And the
question I've got for you is simple, do you believe
Andrew cost He's got no evidence to prove his allegations,
and because of that, I don't. But how believable do
you think is climes Are For

Speaker 1 (04:07):
More from Kerry Wooden Mornings, listen live to news talks
it be from nine am weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.