Borrows Chester: Financial Review Debate — In Committee 
Borrows Chester: Financial Review Debate — In Committee 
[Volume:646;Page:15014] 
CHESTER BORROWS (National—Whanganui) 
: 
 I rise to speak on the 2006-07 financial review of the New Zealand Police and to reflect on what a torrid year the police have had. It has been a year with its ups and its downs but overall I believe that the police have done a fantastic job in looking after our safety and well-being and protecting life and property within New Zealand. 
One of the highs for instance was the resignation finally of Clint Rickards when he came to understand what the rest of New Zealand understood which was that he had to go. The work done by the police in Operation Austin saw several hearings go before the High Court and a number of varied decisions came out of that. The public unfortunately felt hoodwinked by the rule of law that did not allow them to understand just how many charges there were and just how many trials there would be. Mr Rickards after maintaining his salary for 3 years while he was suspended and after maintaining other fringe benefits such as the use of a vehicle finally came to the conclusion when he saw the evidence that the police had that it was pointless for him to maintain his innocence. He knew that he was due to face charges before the tribunal he knew that police Commissioner Howard Broad had to prove only one of those charges for Rickards to be dismissed and he knew that if he appealed he would be paying for it out of his own pocket and not out of the taxpayer’s pocket. I congratulate the members of the police who worked on that inquiry on coming to the conclusion that they did. I only wish that the jury had seen the matter in the same way. 
Another point that drew a lot of flak through the year was the execution of the Operation Eight search warrants in respect of terrorist-type crimes occurring around the country. A number of members of the public and political parties were very quick to oppose the police and their operations. The fact is they were acting on information that they had. The protocols around obtaining search warrants and listing the various crimes suspected meant that the police had to include the Terrorism Suppression Act in their affidavit for a search warrant. When news of that got out the brown stuff hit the fan and the police came under enormous pressure. I look forward to seeing the continuation of those prosecutions and where they end up. 
In the last 12 months we have seen the release of the Bazley report with its 48 recommendations about the future conduct of the police. We have since seen a response from the police and the release of a code of conduct but it is disappointing to note the lack of references within it to sexual behaviour bearing in mind that the whole reason for the Bazley inquiry which led to the report was sexual misconduct within the police. I look forward to seeing the police address that issue in due course. 
We also saw other debacles. These incidents have been disappointing to say the least. One was the issuing and distribution of stab-resistant body armour. These stab-resistant vests were supposed to have been allocated over 3 years ago. Initially there were problems with the fabric. The fabric chosen was disintegrating in the sunlight. So they changed the fabric. Then someone had the bright idea—“bright” being ironic—that it would be really good to make these stab-resistant vests fluorescent. The only problem with that is that if one is hiding in the shadows trying to catch the baddies one is a pretty easy target. So they decided to change the colour and to go back to blue. Then they realised they had the design wrong. The police needed to be able to hang stuff off the bottom of the vests like a duty belt. So they had to change the design of it. Then they let out the contract and in spite of the contractors offering to do the measuring for another $300000 the police decided that they would save money by doing the measuring themselves that it would not be a problem at all. Unfortunately they stuffed that up as well. Now millions of dollars worth of undersized vests that cannot be allocated to anybody are stored under the Police College at Porirua. The police then found that the design of the vests was such that the shirts that were worn under them were too hot. Staff were refusing to wear the vests because of the state they left them in. The police then had to let a contract for 35000 moisture-wicking breathable shirts. 
Later on we saw a debacle over recruiting standards. Pressure came on the police to describe the standard of recruits coming into the Police College bearing in mind the standard of graduating constables and the feedback that Opposition members were getting about those constables when they ended up on the street. A report was issued by the head of the human resources department within the police and he said there was not a problem. He had done some tests and everything was fine. Then a conflicting report from Senior Sergeant Saunders of the Police College found that all the protocols and systems that had been used by Mr Annan in deciding that the recruits were well and truly up to standard were completely and fundamentally flawed. Eventually there was a discussion around that. Mr Saunders was on leave for some time because of the pressure that was being brought to bear on him for raising the point and criticising the police. Eventually with a third inquiry having been contracted by the Minister of Police there has been some sort of resolution. 
Finally of course there was the problem around Mr Burton and his arrest. Whereas the police did an excellent job in making the arrest we found from the report that was released just a few weeks ago that the warrant for Burton’s arrest had lain undisturbed for 2 weeks over the Christmas period of 2006 because no one took ownership of the fact that there was a warrant to arrest him and thus the public was placed in further danger. National members also asked questions—and we have never really had this matter substantiated by the Minister—around the request for the assistance of the police surveillance squad to locate and arrest Burton. That assistance was withheld and the allegation there was that the squad was not available because its members were on leave and the police were not prepared to pay them a standby allowance. 
Later on in the year in September 2007 we saw the announcement that the Organised Crime Agency would form part of the police and that the Serious Fraud Office would be moved within the police yet 2 weeks before that the Serious Fraud Office had no idea that that was planned. The police still cannot tell us how it is going to work. The Government cannot tell us what powers that office will take with it into the police or exactly how it will operate. 
The National Party thankfully has released policy in respect of the police. In November it released information to the effect that should there be a favourable report it will promote the carriage and use of Tasers by the police as the situation requires. We are still waiting for that report to be released. We also announced that DNA testing will be in the same form as fingerprinting and photographing and will be carried out every time somebody is arrested. We look forward to being in Government and seeing how that works. It will add to the crime library and collection of DNA samplings and we look forward to a quick resolution of crimes as a result. We have indicated that we will roll back the bail laws that were implemented in October that see more serious offenders being released on bail rather than remanded in custody. Our final plank in respect of police policy running into this election is that the police will be able to issue short-term protection orders for the protection of women and family members who have been abused by their spouses. The interesting thing about three of those things is that as soon as we announced the measures in respect of Tasers DNA testing and short-term protection orders the Minister having said that National had no ideas in respect of law and order and policing said: “Oh yeah. We’ll do that too.” Thank you Mr Chairperson.