Questions remain why it has taken the Government and the Commissioner over a month to begin the dismissal process of convicted rapist Colin McLean. They have known for 17 months that this conviction was coming. Now New Zealanders have to wait another few weeks to get this predator off the police payroll, National's Police spokesperson Tony Ryall said today.

In the House today George Hawkins said that 'on Monday 30 April papers were served on Constable McLean under section 32 of the Police Act'.

Yet, on Late Edition last night, Tuesday 1 May, Mr Hawkins told Linda Clark that the Commissioner would not issue any papers under section 32 'because in the past he has not managed to be successful at that'. 'These things have been tried and they've been overturned...[by the Employment Court]'.

"Why did the Minister not tell Parliament this yesterday?

"Why did he suggest it couldn't be stopped because the law was wrong?

"The Commissioner had 17 months to prepare for this dismissal. He does his credibility no good when he now takes action a month after the conviction," Mr Ryall said.

Mr Ryall also tabled documents in Parliament, which show the Employment Court has supported the Commissioner's right to dismiss convicted officers in the past, despite the Minister's claims.

Ends

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>