Mark Ron: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Mark Ron: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:625;Page:20537] 
8.  
RON MARK (NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Police 
: Will he be asking his police commissioner to resign in light of the scathing report into the 111 emergency call system; if not why not? 
Hon PHIL GOFF (Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade) 
 on behalf of the 
 Minister of Police 
: No because the New Zealand Police under the current commissioner has overall been very effective in delivering record reductions in crime rates in New Zealand. 
Ron Mark 
: How does the Minister expect the public’s confidence in the 111 emergency system to be restored when neither he nor the police commissioner who has had a $70000 per year pay rise and a 2-year extension to his contract and who has known about these failings and the potential for disaster for 3 years did anything and when neither the Minister nor the commissioner has accepted responsibility? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: I expect the public to have confidence in the system because an independent and comprehensive review was ordered. The money was provided to implement the recommendations of that review and the police commissioner not only has committed himself to implementing the recommendations but has already begun that process. 
Tim Barnett 
: Is the Minister satisfied that the Commissioner of Police has delivered results? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: I am satisfied that the commissioner has delivered results. He has taken the $200 million in extra funding that the Government has given him he has taken the 1000 extra staff members that the Government has given him and he has applied those resources effectively to deliver crime reductions that mean that we now have a crime rate that is the lowest in 23 years. 
Ron Mark 
: Then how does the Minister explain his comments on the radio this morning when he said that the Government makes available the appropriate resources that it is up to the police to provide the services and that 99.9 percent accuracy in the emergency 111 system is not good enough; how does the Minister explain his criticising and chastising of the police this morning on the radio when he is now saying that they are doing a wonderful job and that the commissioner should not be fired? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: Easily because overall our police force is doing a very good job. I along with most New Zealanders have had a gutsful of Opposition members who continually belittle and demean the police instead of getting behind them and supporting them. They are doing a great job overall but that does not mean that everything they do is absolutely right. Where they are not doing things right we expect an improvement. This review will deliver the improvement that we expect. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Is not one of the reasons the Government is so happy to hang with the Commissioner of Police his compliance with the Government’s public relations demands such that he would release this report dated 12 May a day early to try to help the Government under the cover of the foot-and-mouth issue? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: The member has just given an example of the sorts of attacks on the integrity of our top civil servants that I was referring to before. The member should know that that report was brought forward because the police senior team was gathered in Wellington on that day. It was released on that occasion. Whatever day it was to be released on it was going to get the headlines it has received. 
Ron Mark 
: I seek the leave of the House to table a quantity of press releases and reports from Mr Goff and Mr Mallard that criticise and attack top public servants like Christine Rankin Peter Doone and Mr Martin. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table an assorted array of press statements. Is there any objection? There is.