Barry Soper: Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent on Parliament unpacking the failings at heart of McSkimming scandal

The Police Minister says like many Kiwis, he's disappointed - by a scathing IPCA report highlighting past failures in senior Police management of complaints about one of their own.

The police watchdog report has detailed how staff, including then-Commissioner Andrew Coster, didn't investigate allegations when they were made against Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming.

Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper unpacked the discussions.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Barry So for senior political correspondent is with us. Hello Barry,
good afternoon. So Parliament cracked off with a debate here.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
Yes, well it wasn't really a debate. It was a
ministerial statement and it means that others are able to
reply to the minister and ask him questions. So it
was interesting to me is that there's never been any
love lost. You'll remember between Andrew Costa and Mark Mitchell.
You remember Mitchell, on taking office, presented Costa with a

(00:29):
list of expectations and it was a very public list
which he didn't agree with the way the police were
heading under labor And you know, Andrew cost was called
Cuddle's Costa for good reason. He was soft. He was
appointed by Jacinda Drn. The other candidate was Mike Clement.
Everybody thought that Mike Clement would get the job and

(00:51):
then out of the blue Andrew Costa came from nowhere
essentially and became the commissioner. So today in Parliament making
a statement after the damning IPCA report, Mark Mitchell pointed
the finger directly at the former Police Minister Andrew Costa.

Speaker 3 (01:07):
The matter when referred to the IPCA saw the then
police commissioner attempt to influence the nature and extent of
the ipca's investigation and its time frame. Others in police
perceived this as a clear attempt to ensure the investigation
did not impact Skimming's prospects of being appointed as his successor.

(01:29):
The behavior outlined in the report is utterly disgraceful. We
cannot forget that at the very core of this as
a woman who was severely let down by the previous
police executive and the system. On the sixth of November
twenty twenty four, Andrew cost To informed me that there
was an IPCA investigation in Dejevim at Skimming surrounding an

(01:52):
affair that he had had and that had soured. He
informed me that there was a female before the courts
for Harassingki. The narrative I was presented was consistent with
the narrative highlighted in the IPCA report that Skimming was
a victim. I want to stress that at this stage
this is all I or the government knew. You.

Speaker 2 (02:15):
Imagine how you'd feel left in the dark if that
was the information that was presented to you. You didn't
know there was anything wrong with us. Well following Mitchell
was the former police minister, Labour's Ginny Anderson, and then
the Green's Tamatha Paul, who at one stage talked about
abolishing the police. You'll remember here I am.

Speaker 4 (02:36):
When a woman is brave enough to come forward with
serious allegations against a senior officer, she should be treated
with respect and have confidence that her complaint will be
investigated without fear or favor. That did not happen. This
was not just a failure of process. It was a
failure failure of leadership. When leadership fails, it damages the

(02:59):
morale within the organization and a rhodes public confidence outside it.
Strong leadership is not only about management, is about setting
an example of integrity, accountability and transparency.

Speaker 5 (03:12):
The way that these allegations were covered up is perhaps
the most disturbing part. They took a relationship between a
senior police official and a woman twenty years his junior,
where a clear power and balance existed and where there
was alleged abuse, and they charged her. They charged her,

(03:34):
They failed her, And.

Speaker 2 (03:37):
It's true really when you look at that. But it's interesting.
I thought about other police commissioners who have left the
force under I guess indented the credibility. One was Peter Doone.
Of course, he was accused of approaching a police officer
who had pulled over his friend's car, his girlfriend's car

(04:00):
and a function. And then Mike Bush will remember knew
Louise Nicholas had raised concerns about Wally homaher saying that
the police should stick together in the face of rape allegations,
and didn't mention that when he was appointed Deputy Police Commissioners.
So you know, there have been other incidents, but nothing

(04:22):
because this is this is a systemic in the police
at the top. By the look of it.

Speaker 1 (04:28):
Hey, I reckon label. We're feeling pretty pleased. It hasn't
it hasn't tumbled down. I mean, you know, after there
had to be a chance that after the capital gains
tax announcement that they would actually go down on the polls.

Speaker 2 (04:37):
I've gone up, yeah, But you've got to remember with
capital gains, I mean there's a fair chunk of New
Zealanders that believe there should be a capital gains tax.
But you know, to me, they haven't explained it very well.
The Labor Party nevertheless.

Speaker 1 (04:50):
But what's important is they've nicked the votes from the Greens,
so the cannibalizing their own block that's.

Speaker 2 (04:55):
Right, and the center right block that are in part
now would still be able to lead. But look, it
really is the National Party. It is up point six
of a percent to thirty point two percent. They're still
behind Labor on thirty three point three percent. National won't
be happy with that, But like I've said on many occasions,

(05:19):
National inherited a dog in terms of the economy, and
it does take time to turn public opinion around when
it comes to dealing with an issue like that.

Speaker 1 (05:28):
Again, some very quickly, because I've got a huge amount
of time. But tell me what Winnie Pee's up to.

Speaker 2 (05:32):
Well, look, the Labor Party is playing Winston Peters and
his so called attack on the National Party. Labor and
its fight to regain the treasure adventures is making a
meal out of Peter's accusing National of not turning the
economy around quickly enough and lambasting the idea of assets.
Do you want to hear what Chris con said about

(05:55):
God here?

Speaker 3 (05:55):
Winston Peters calls his explanations creative accounting of the worst
and doesn't believe what he says OnSSET sales. Why should
New Zealanders.

Speaker 4 (06:03):
Look I think it's a pretty petty line from this
member on economics.

Speaker 3 (06:06):
Right, he's the guy that actually lit the fire. He's
the arsonist that put the economy on fire.

Speaker 5 (06:12):
Now he's complaining.

Speaker 3 (06:13):
About the fire brigade putting it out again as literacy
on anything economics as abysmal.

Speaker 2 (06:19):
He's going to get that, and he's going to get
that all theme. And actually, what National is doing, I've
noticed is taking the criticisms by Winston Peters on the chin.

Speaker 1 (06:28):
Yeah, that's probably the anything you can do. Thanks very much,
Bary Soper, Senior Political Correspondence.

Speaker 3 (06:33):
For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drave, listen live to
News Talks.

Speaker 1 (06:37):
It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio