Mark Mitchell: Police Minister hopeful Andrew Coster will succeed in new Social Investment Agency role

The Police Minister has confidence Police Commissioner Andrew Coster will fit well into his new role.

Coster has led the police since 2020, but will move to become the head of the Social Investment Agency in November.

Mark Mitchell says the agency will be at the forefront of dealing with inter-generational social issues.

He says he looks forward to seeing Coster succeed in the new position.

"The Social Investment Agency's got a big role to play and I think that Andy Coster, when you look at his background and experience - he's the perfect fit for the role."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Afternoon, Andrew Costa has resigned as the Police Commissioner. He
will finish up with the Police in November and then
take up a new role as the boss of the
new Social Investment Agency. Now Mark Mitchell is the Police Minister. Mitch, Hello, Hi, Heather,
is this what it looks like?

Speaker 2 (00:15):
You know what it looks It looks like, it looks like.

Speaker 3 (00:17):
It looks like you guys have done a deal with
him to quit. Found him a nice job to replace
the job you want him out of.

Speaker 2 (00:24):
No, not at all. I mean, obviously Nicholas is forming
the Social Investment Agency because that's a critical that's a
cornerstone for us. Us actually is in government is to
start to deal with all these really difficult intergenerational social
issues that we need to deal with as a country.
The Social Investment Agency has got a big role to
play and I think that Andy Costa, when you look

(00:48):
at his background and his experience, he's the perfect fit
for that role.

Speaker 3 (00:51):
Look, I know you're not going to agree with me,
because you can't. But he wasn't that good as the
Police commissioner, so why would he be good at this job?

Speaker 2 (01:02):
Well, he was, look, in all fairness to the commissioner
is a change with a changing Obviously, in opposition, we
felt like labor had completely taken us in the wrong
direction in terms of public safety, and they had, without
a doubt. We've gone backwards on every measure. There's a
lot of work to do. We're slowly starting to turn
that around. However, in all fairness to the Commissioner, he

(01:22):
has to serve the government of the day as the
incoming national government, as the incoming minister. I sent out
a leader of expectation. I released that publicly. It was
very clear in terms of what I wanted done, and
he has responded to that. So, in all fairness, there's
been a real change in the way that gang convoys
or police. We haven't had any of our provincial or
rural towns taken over by gangs. They've been hammering and

(01:44):
doing running operations against the boy racers. We're really getting
stuck into the retail crime. There's been a big increase
in police presence through beat patrols. You know, every single
commonchero in the country's got currently facing charges. So he
has actually responded well to that letter of expectation.

Speaker 3 (02:03):
Yeah, I kind of feel like this is more of
his wheelhouse like the way that he approaches crime. This
is where he needs to be. He might act him
quite good at this Listen.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
I agree with you entirely, and I think that when
you you know, I worked with him when he was
Deputy CEO at Justice and I was the Associate Minister
of Justice in the last National government. Very good in
that role. You know. I've enjoyed working with him in
my role as Police Minister, and I enjoy and I'll
enjoy working with him this role. But I agree with you.
I think that he's got the strategic sort of oversight

(02:33):
in terms of what we need to do, but he's
also very much in tune with the operational stuff and
the stuff, you know, the front line stuff, and an
understanding of where we need to target our resources and
efforts in terms of getting stuck in and starting to
deal with some of the intergenerational arm that we see
in this country.

Speaker 3 (02:49):
So who are you going to pick? Jevin mcskimming or
Richard Chambers.

Speaker 2 (02:52):
I will that'll be interesting to see who puts their
name forward. But you know, we were all obviously the
Public Services Commission runs the process. It'll be a fear
process and U and we'll see who emerges from that.

Speaker 3 (03:06):
Mitch, thank you really appreciate your time this Marke much
all the police minister. For more from Hither Duplessy, Allen Drive,
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