Barry Soper: Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent says there is no racism in NZ Police

Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper chats to Heather du Plessis-Allan about the Andrew Coster inquiry, and Tamatha Paul calling for the defunding of NZ Police.

Soper denies Paul's concerns over race bias in arrests made by NZ Police.

"I don't think there's racism in the Police at all," he said. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Barry, so senior political correspondents with us.

Speaker 2 (00:02):
Allo Barry, Good afternoon, Heather.

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Right, So Tamoth Pool's got to Tamoth Pool's got to
grill the police commissioner, which is kind of ironic because
she wants to defund the police.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Yes, well, it struck me is yes, rather strange that
here she was sitting there. It is what do they
call it, the week at parliaments, basically putting all the
government departments up scrutiny. That's what I'm looking for, scrutiny week.
So for heads of government departments at times it must

(00:34):
be difficult. This for the Commissioner of Police, Richard Chambers,
must have been quite difficult tamotha Paul because from the Greens,
of course, she'll he'll be quite aware of her view
of the police and that their job could essentially be
done by Maori Warden's Council, Warden's community initiatives and other

(00:56):
management practices that I think she said that having more
police on the beat essentially makes people more afraid because
they see the cops about and I think there's trouble.
But anyway, that's the background to her today. She was
firing questions at Richard Chambers, but taking up the case
for Maldy, who she says are disproportionately being charged for

(01:18):
cannabis offenses.

Speaker 3 (01:19):
Here she is Mary in the last year are now
more highly charged with possession of cannabis than Parker, despite
the fact that we are only fifteen percent of the
population and partire other majority. So how does that work out?
How is there such a massive difference in the discharging
of discretion, if not systemic races.

Speaker 4 (01:37):
I would want to understand beyond just those high level statistics.
It's too simplistic to sort of say that, oh, that
must equate to meaning this, But it.

Speaker 3 (01:45):
Does correlate with police being granted more discretion on cannabis
convictions and possession directly correlates with Malory being more highly
convicted despite the population differences.

Speaker 4 (01:56):
But I think we'd need to have a closer look
at the circumstances. Frankly, I joined New Zealand place thirty
years ago to be the best policeman I can. That
hasn't changed. That means I can still get my hands day.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
What he was saying is that about that particular comment
was that look, somebody put it pointed out to him
that at a couple of stages he stopped when he's
seeing the police frontline police having a few issues with people,
he stepped out and walked over to them and take
taking the people into custody himself, as the police commissed.

Speaker 1 (02:30):
As the police commission where does he do this when
he's out on the town having a drug?

Speaker 2 (02:34):
Who knows, But it was put to him that that's
what he does on the old occasion. I think a
lot of people would say that's bloody good that a
police commissioner can come down to their level and assist
them when they're having problems with people on the street.
The other thing, maybe Tamitha Paul should consider more Mildy
have been caught for smoking dope rather than us, rather

(02:58):
than a racial issue being involved in this. It's easy
to apply the racist comment but and she did it
against the police today. It's easy to say. But honestly,
I don't think there's I don't think there's racism in
the police at all.

Speaker 1 (03:13):
Listen, have we got an update on Andy Coster that
suggests they've almost managed to sack him.

Speaker 2 (03:19):
Well, I don't know about sacking them.

Speaker 1 (03:21):
Well that's what they're doing.

Speaker 4 (03:22):
Well, I would.

Speaker 2 (03:23):
Imagine they are.

Speaker 1 (03:24):
But he wasn't.

Speaker 2 (03:25):
Of course, at scrutiny week this week. His deputy had
to sit in for him, But David wrote, David Roach
Brian So, Brian Roach was on his way into the
committee today and he stopped to have a word to journalists.
If you listen to Roach, the inquiry is definitely in
his final stages.

Speaker 5 (03:46):
I don't have an exact date, but I'm really confident
that we're going to get there and remove the uncertainty
that everyone has. I recognize this has got a high
level of public interest. We have had to do it
properly according to the law, and I'm confident that we've
done that. We'll get to the end. We get to
the end. I want it done as soon as I
possibly can.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
So I think essentially what he's saying there is a
decision on Costa's futurism. In't it a.

Speaker 1 (04:09):
Decision on Costa's future? Barry, they're sacking him.

Speaker 2 (04:13):
Okay, I mean, I'm just listening to what so Brian.

Speaker 1 (04:17):
Roach's still decision. It's basically it's them trying to actually
get to the back of the end of it. And
he keeps on putting up a fight by the looks
of it.

Speaker 2 (04:24):
Well, now listen, No, I don't think Brian Roach is
putting up a fight.

Speaker 1 (04:26):
I think, hey, what do you make of this business
of the EU funding Instagram posts attacking our government?

Speaker 2 (04:34):
Well, I think what this young woman should have been
put before was a candidate school and all the parties
have them, and if she's been through that should know
that you don't appear on behalf of anybody else, certainly
an outside influence like the European Union. I think you
know she's made a major mistake here. But don't forget

(04:54):
Hither you You've had an interview in the past with
school strike for Climate New Zealand.

Speaker 1 (05:01):
Don't, Barry, don't are you mentioning? Are you going to
mention Izzy?

Speaker 2 (05:06):
I was going to mention Izzy, Yeah, that's young, that's young.

Speaker 1 (05:10):
I got the BSA told me often I have to
pretend it.

Speaker 2 (05:12):
Well, yes, I thought. I thought it was a good
interview and it was certainly warrant.

Speaker 1 (05:16):
Well, I mean, look, some people did enjoy it at
the time and didn't leave it there. Thank you, Barry,
Barry sober jeez, honestly, senior political correspondent.

Speaker 2 (05:25):
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