Huo Raymond: Appointments — Independent Police Conduct Authority 
Huo Raymond: Appointments — Independent Police Conduct Authority 
[Volume:665;Page:13091] 
RAYMOND HUO (Labour) 
: 
 I rise to speak in support of the motion before the House and the recommendations made to His Excellency the Governor-General on the appointments to the Independent Police Conduct Authority as outlined by the Attorney-General the Hon Chris Finlayson in his speech. These new appointments will add to the significant experience and expertise that Justice Lowell Goddard and Allan Galbraith currently bring to it. 
The Independent Police Conduct Authority carries out a very important function as a fully independent investigating body for complaints concerning the New Zealand Police. Labour is committed to New Zealand having a police force that all New Zealanders can have pride and confidence in and that is why it is important to have a robust and independent oversight body. 
The previous Labour Government made important changes to the authority to ensure that its integrity and independence were retained. We passed the Independent Police Conduct Authority Amendment Act in 2007 which changed the authority’s name and its powers. The Independent Police Conduct Authority helps to ensure public confidence in the police by making the complaints process more transparent than it used to be. 
I support the view that the vast majority of police in New Zealand do a fantastic job. Certainly they enjoy a very good reputation. They are far more trusted by the general public than politicians. In my former professions I used to work very closely on specific occasions with the police. As the Asian affairs reporter for the  
New Zealand Herald 
—which was a long time ago—I worked very closely with its Auckland-based Asian crime unit. Later as a lawyer I worked cooperatively with police officers either as friends working together to help victims or as rivals arguing as opposing counsel on behalf of clients. In any event I appreciate that it is not an easy job and our police should be supported 100 percent for doing their job. But when things go wrong the public need to be assured that those things will be looked at examined and scrutinised in an independent thorough and transparent way. It is a matter of determining who watches the watchers. 
Prior to 1989 complaints against the police were investigated internally. That is to say when the issue of a complaint arose the watchers watched themselves. In 1989 the Police Complaints Authority was established following several years of debate about police accountability sparked in part by the role played by the police during the 1981 Springbok Tour. The establishment of the Police Complaints Authority was good but not good enough. Through most of its life the Police Complaints Authority comprised a single person with a small number of support staff and it conducted reviews of police investigations. Because of the authority’s reliance on the police themselves it was perceived as lacking independence. Recent changes including the appointment of independent investigators are addressing that perception. 
In March 2007 the report of the Commission of Inquiry into Police Conduct recommended a number of changes to the authority including enhanced powers and improved communication with complainants. The Labour Government committed to implementing those recommendations and made a start with the Independent Police Conduct Authority Amendment Act 2007 which made five main changes and my colleague the Hon Nanaia Mahuta outlined those in her speech this afternoon. The Labour Cabinet also approved further changes to the Independent Police Conduct Authority. However the legislation that was needed to implement those changes did not make it before the House prior to the 2008 election. Those further changes are very valid and relevant—for instance the proposal to amend the current secrecy and privilege provisions so that information gathered during the authority’s investigations can be used in subsequent proceedings and the proposal to allow the Official Information Act to apply to the authority. 
The Independent Police Conduct Authority is fully independent much like a court. It makes its findings based on the facts and applies the law accordingly. It does not answer to the police themselves or to anyone else over those findings. The authority is headed by a High Court judge and has three members in total who are appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of Parliament. Each member works full-time for the authority and has executive duties. A further two part-time members may be appointed to the authority to represent community interests. The authority has the same powers as a commission of inquiry to summon witnesses and gather evidence. The police are required to provide all of the information and assistance needed for the authority to carry out its functions. 
The Independent Police Conduct Authority is currently chaired by Hon Justice Lowell Goddard a judge of the High Court. Justice Goddard was appointed to the Police Complaints Authority in February 2007 for a 5-year term. When the Independent Police Conduct Authority was established in November 2007 she retained her appointment and became the chair of the authority. The other current member of the authority is Mr Allan Galbraith who has been the authority’s manager investigations since 2003 and he was appointed as a member of the authority in 2008. Mel Smith served as a board member until November 2009 but since then there have been only two members on the board. 
The Minister of Justice the Hon Simon Power has said that the areas of expertise that Justice Goddard and Mr Galbraith bring to the authority are central to its functions as an investigatory body. However the authority needs additional expertise in the area of executive management and corporate governance including knowledge of the reporting elements of a Crown entity’s responsibilities. It is therefore proposed that appointments are to be made of Dianne Macaskill Angela Hauk-Willis and Richard Woods to provide expertise in these areas. Previous speakers have advised the House of the background of the proposed appointees. I am very pleased to endorse their appointments and I wish them all the best in the future. Thank you.