Ryan Bridge: Is Coster really sorry?

Andrew Coster's three weeks of silence and negotiating speaks volumes about the sincerity of the apology delivered yesterday. 

If you really felt that way, if you hadn't until yesterday realised what had gone on, which he had of course, he saw the report long before any of us did, then surely, you'd have come straight out starting blocks with an apology to Ms Z.

Wouldn't that be a bit more credible? 

As for the Government, they've obviously been trying to get him out without paying him too much. 

The bill is three months paid out. Essentially gardening leave. And, crucially, a statement from the Government that there was no cover-up. 

That's despite the IPCA report having the strong whiff of one, or as Judith Collins put it, the walk, talk, and quack of one. 

Coster's obviously done the calls in his head. The longer you stay on and fight, the messier it gets, reputation-wise. He'll be thinking about the next job, whatever and wherever that may be. 

He strikes me as the sort of guy with a plan to maybe one day get into politics. 

Local cop boss. Top cop boss. New 'modern' approach to policing. A champion of progressive policing. That sort of resume would get you pretty close to the top of a left-leaning party pretty quickly, I would have thought. 

He's not stupid. But this scandal will rule him out of politics and pretty much all top public sector jobs in New Zealand, pretty much for life. 

As the Police Association boss told us yesterday on this programme, front-line officers are being taunted over this. 

Association with that sort of damage doesn't evaporate quickly. And the media culpa, the sorry, wasn't quick enough.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Andrew Costas three weeks of silence and negotiating, I think
speaks volumes about the sincerity of the apology we got yesterday.
If you really felt that way, if you hadn't until
yesterday realized what had gone on, which he had, of course,
because he saw the report long before any of us did,
then surely you would have come straight out the starting
blocks with an apology to miss z and the front

(00:21):
line officers, by the way, who've been copping flak. Wouldn't
that be a bit more credible. As for the government,
they've obviously been trying to get him out without paying
him too much. The bill is three months paid out,
essentially gardening leave, and crucially a statement from the government
that there was no cover up. Roach said, no collusion
of officers. That's despite the IPCA report having the strong

(00:44):
whiff of one, or, as Judith Collins put it, the
walk talk and quack of one. Cost has obviously done
the clcs in his head on this, and the longer
you stay on and fight the mess here it gets
reputation wise, he'll be thinking about the next job, of course,
whatever and where whorever that may be. He strikes me
as the sort of guy with a plan to maybe

(01:05):
one day go into politics. You know, local cop boss,
top cop boss, new modern approach to policing, champion of
progressive policing. That sort of resume would get you pretty
close to the top of a left landing party pretty quickly.
I would have thought he's not stupid, But this scandal
will rule him out of politics and pretty much all

(01:26):
top public sector jobs in New Zealand pretty much for life.
As for the police Association, well, the boss there told
us yesterday on this program that frontline officers are being
taunted over this association. With that sort of damage doesn't
evaporate quickly, and the meyor Kulper, the sorry wasn't quick enough.

(01:49):
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