The Haumaha inquiry

Stuff reports:

A review into the appointment of Deputy Commissioner of Police Wally Haumaha will look at whether the State Services Commission received or sought all relevant background information. 

Acting Prime Minister Winston Peters also confirmed on Monday the inquiry would look into the information the commission had, and whether that information was made available to the relevant ministers. …

Peters said the inquiry would be delivered to Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin, as it was not appropriate to have either the State Services Minister or the Police Minister oversee it. Martin would be appointing an independent person to undertake the inquiry, in the coming week. 

That’s nonsense. It has nothing to do with Internal Affairs. The appropriate Minister is the State Services Minister, as they ran the appointment process.

Peters batted away suggestions her role as a NZ First MP might compromise her. Haumaha had sought selection to be a MP for the party in 2005, but withdrew from the process. …

National Party police spokesman Chris Bishop however, called into question the “close ties” Haumaha had with NZ First. 

“Mr Peters must explain whether he disclosed this conflict at Cabinet given Mr Haumaha was once a candidate of his party, and how this conflict was managed during the appointment process.

“He must also explain his completely inappropriate appointment of NZ First MP, and former party official, Tracey Martin as the minister in charge of the inquiry,” Bishop said.

It is a bad look having a NZ First Minister in charge of the inquiry of the appointment of someone who sought to be a NZ First candidate.