Govt vindicates ACT's claims over police inquiry

Dr Muriel Newman
Thursday, 21 April 2005
Press Releases - Crime & Justice

The Government s decision to widen the inquiry into police conduct proves that Trevor Mallard attempted to hide from the public Helen Clark s misjudged call to launch a government investigation into police conduct too early, ACT Deputy Leader and police spokesman Dr Muriel Newman said today.

In November, in answer to my parliamentary questions, Mr Mallard claimed that the Government s inquiry into police behaviour began before the police investigations into rape allegations by Louise Nicholas, Dr Newman said. Five months later he corrected his reply and said the Government s inquiry had a wider terms of reference and covered material wider than the police investigation.

All the while this inquiry has cost hard working New Zealanders content_text.4 million and 48,500 police man-hours all because the Prime Minister and her ninth floor spin doctors decided to put their foot in it to try and score some easy political points over the Nicholas case.

Mallard s original answer to my Parliamentary Question didn t square with a press release by Helen Clark on February 3, 2004, announcing the Government s inquiry, where she said a police investigation had already begun. A police press release on the same day announcing it had reopened its investigation into Nicholas allegations confirms this.

This whole costly fiasco is indicative of a Labour Government that is more concerned about spin than substance, Dr Newman said.

ENDS

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