So what is undue influence?
Stuff reports:
The IPCA analysed whether there was undue political influence impacting how police responded to the occupation. The main question around political interference centred around a meeting between Wellington MP (and then deputy prime minister) Grant Robertson, Attorney-General David Parker, then-Speaker Trevor Mallard and Police Commissioner Andrew Coster.
The MPs wanted the occupiers gone. After the meeting, Coster called an assistant commissioner and told him they needed to bring an end to the occupation.
“[Coster] made clear his expectation that there was to be a Police operation on the following day to clear Parliament grounds of protesters. The Assistant Commissioner told us he regarded this expectation as an order from the Commissioner,” the report said.
So did the meeting show undue political influence on the police?
The IPCA concluded there was no undue political influence. The investigation said those who attended the meeting between Coster and MPs did not believe there had been “express or implied direction” from ministers.
So the Commissioner has a meeting with the Deputy PM, the Attorney-General and the Speaker, where they say they want the occupation ended, and within minutes of the meeting ending, the Commissioner orders an operation to end it, and somehow this is not undue pressure?
If that is not undue pressure, then what would be?
What was the purpose of having the Deputy PM and Attorney-General attend the meeting, if it was not to pressure the Commissioner?
“There were some ministers in the room at the time, but it was ultimately the Speaker who instigated that meeting. He is the occupier of Parliament,” he said.
So again why were the Ministers there?
NZ First leader Winston Peters wasn’t convinced. He picked up on a statement from the investigation, where Coster said the meeting with MPs was “uncomfortable”.
“How on earth is this not raising a red flag for direct `political interference’,” Peters asked.
So the Ministers made the Commissioner uncomfortable, and persuaded him to order action against the occupiers, yet again somehow this is not undue pressure!