New Zealand First Law and Order Spokesman Ron Mark, has called on George Hawkins, Minister of Police, to step down for the good of the country.

“George has lost the confidence and respect not only of the policemen and women on the beat, but also, and perhaps even more importantly, the Commissioner of Police and his administrations team,” Mr Mark has asserted.

“The relationship between the Police Minister and the Police Commissioner has irreconcilably broken down. My understanding is that all communications between the two individuals now has to be in written form, in order that a trail of proof can be found to the point at which the relationship becomes absolutely intolerable,” claimed Mr Mark.

“Events over recent months have given indication of the serious deterioration in their strained relationship and the events of last week which saw the Minister and the Commissioner publicly disagreeing over the need to carry out yet a further search for the Hope/Smart bodies.

“Among the most recent spats between these two, were the petty decisions of the Minister to disallow a full compliment of Police to Timor and to refuse the Commissioner’s request for an additional six Assistant Commissioners to carry out the growing administrative demands being imposed on the Police to account for every hour of police time. Important decisions like these should not be made in a fit of pique so often is the case for Mr Hawkins.

“George Hawkins has become the John Banks of the Labour Party, an individual unable to become a policeman himself and his frustration is being taken out on the Police,” said Mr Mark.

“For the good of the Police and the taxpayer, the time has come for the Prime Minister to shift George to a portfolio more suitable to his skills, local government for instance,” concluded Mr Mark.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

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>>