SIR BRIAN ROCHE

*CALLING IN* B/U HIS PERSONAL 027 445 1768
PUBLIC SERVICES COMMISSIONER

0705


SO AS EXPECTED - FORMER POLICE COMMISSIONER ANDREW COSTER HAS FALLEN ON HIS SWORD.

HE'S STEPPED DOWN AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE SOCIAL INVESTMENT AGENCY.

IT FOLLOWS THE DAMNING IPCA REVIEW INTO THE HANDLING OF MCSKIMMING COMPLAINTS - WITH COSTER SAYING HE "TAKES FULL ACCEPTANCE FOR THE SHORTCOMINGS."

SIR BRIAN ROCHE IS THE PUBLIC SERVICES COMMISSIONER AND IS WITH US, MORNING.


- DID YOU TELL HIM THAT YOU WOULD SACK HIM?

- WHY WAS IT THE "RIGHT THING TO DO" IN YOUR VIEW?

- THE PAY OUT? HOW MUCH ARE WE LOOKING AT?

- IS ANDREW COSTER UNLUCKY IN A SENSE? WHAT'S NEXT FOR HIM?


COSTER STATEMENT:

AS REFLECTED IN THE RECENTLY RELEASED PUBLIC STATEMENT FROM SIR BRIAN ROCHE, PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONER, I HAVE DECIDED TO RESIGN FROM MY ROLE AS SECRETARY OF SOCIAL INVESTMENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE SOCIAL INVESTMENT AGENCY, EFFECTIVE FROM 3 DECEMBER 2025.

THIS DECISION IS A RESULT OF MY ACCEPTANCE OF FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SHORTCOMINGS IDENTIFIED IN THE INDEPENDENT POLICE CONDUCT AUTHORITY'S REVIEW OF THE HANDLING OF COMPLAINTS AGAINST JEVON MCSKIMMING DURING MY TENURE AS COMMISSIONER OF POLICE.

I REGRET THE IMPACT ON THE YOUNG WOMAN AT THE CENTRE OF THIS MATTER AND SINCERELY APOLOGISE TO HER FOR THE DISTRESS CAUSED.

L ACCEPT THAT I WAS TOO READY TO TRUST AND ACCEPT AT FACE VALUE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER MCSKIMMING'S DISCLOSURE AND EXPLANATIONS TO ME. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN FASTER AND MORE THOROUGH IN LOOKING INTO THE MATTER.

I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I SHOULD HAVE MORE FULLY INVESTIGATED THE ALLEGATIONS WHEN THEY WERE BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION, RATHER THAN ASSUMING THAT THEIR PREVIOUS DISCLOSURE TO SENIOR POLICE STAFF A FEW YEARS EARLIER WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN INVESTIGATION IF NECESSARY.

IT IS CLEAR THAT POLICE'S HANDLING OF THE WHOLE MATTER WAS LACKING AND THAT I WAS ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE MATTERS. IT WAS SOBERING TO READ OF A NUMBER OF MISSED OPPORTUNITIES WHICH SHOULD HAVE PROCEEDED DIFFERENTLY AND MORE APPROPRIATELY.

I WELCOME SIR BRIAN'S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT THE REPORT MADE NO FINDING OF CORRUPTION OR COVER-UP, NOR DID THE IPCA FIND ANY EVIDENCE OF ANY ACTIONS INVOLVING OFFICERS CONSCIOUSLY DOING THE WRONG THING OR SETTING OUT TO UNDERMINE THE INTEGRITY OF THE ORGANISATION.

I MADE DECISIONS HONESTLY. I ACTED IN GOOD FAITH. I SOUGHT TO TAKE ALL IMPORTANT FACTORS INTO ACCOUNT WITH THE INFORMATION I HAD AT THE TIME. WHILE IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO ALTER PAST EVENTS, I AM PREPARED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY - I GOT THIS WRONG.

I WANT TO APOLOGISE TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE NZ POLICE. THEY WORK HARD EVERY DAY TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITIES SAFE. I KNOW THEY HAVE BEEN ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY THESE EVENTS.

THIS HAS BEEN A VERY CHALLENGING TIME FOR MY FAMILY AND ME - THE SUPPORT WE HAVE RECEIVED HAS BEEN DEEPLY APPRECIATED. I HAVE DEVOTED MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE TO THE SERVICE OF OTHERS - IT IS MY INTENTION TO DO SO AGAIN AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE.

SIR BRIAN ROCHE - RELEASE:

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONER SIR BRIAN ROCHE TODAY ANNOUNCED THAT ANDY COSTER WILL BE LEAVING THE SOCIAL INVESTMENT AGENCY EFFECTIVE TODAY.

MR COSTER WAS THE POLICE COMMISSIONER FROM 3 APRIL 2020 TO 10 NOVEMBER 2024. THE INDEPENDENT POLICE CONDUCT AUTHORITY (IPCA) RECENTLY RELEASED ITS REPORT ON THE INVESTIGATION OF THE POLICE'S HANDLING OF COMPLAINTS AGAINST FORMER DEPUTY POLICE COMMISSIONER JEVON MCSKIMMING, WHICH OCCURRED DURING MR COSTER'S TIME AS COMMISSIONER. MR COSTER HAS DECIDED TO RESIGN FOLLOWING THE RELEASE OF THE IPCA'S REPORT.

"I RESPECT MR COSTER'S DECISION. IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO," SAID SIR BRIAN.

"I ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE IPCA FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF CORRUPTION OR COVER-UP WHEN UNDERTAKING THEIR REVIEW. WHILE THE IPCA FOUND SERIOUS LEADERSHIP FAILURES OCCURRED, THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF SENIOR OFFICERS CONSCIOUSLY DOING THE WRONG THING OR SETTING OUT TO UNDERMINE THE INTEGRITY OF THE ORGANISATION.

"WHAT IS CLEAR HOWEVER, IS THAT THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT EVIDENCE OF FAILURES WITHIN THE ORGANISATION THAT MR COSTER WAS THEN ACCOUNTABLE FOR. SYSTEMS, PROCESSES, DELEGATIONS AND BEHAVIOURS THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT TO BE EMBEDDED WERE NOT FOLLOWED.

"MR COSTER ACKNOWLEDGES WITH HINDSIGHT THAT HE SHOULD HAVE AND COULD HAVE DONE BETTER, AND AS EVIDENCED BY HIS DECISION, HAS TAKEN ACCOUNTABILITY."

SIR BRIAN SAID MR COSTER HAS MADE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE OPERATIONS OF SIA DURING HIS TIME THERE.

"HE HAS PERFORMED VERY WELL WITH A STRONG MOTIVATION TO BOTH CHANGE AND STRENGTHEN THE WAY SOCIAL INVESTMENT AND IMPROVED OUTCOMES FOR THOSE IN NEED ARE ACHIEVED."