Labour’s proposal to introduce “volunteers” into the New Zealand Police is a giant leap backwards, the New Zealand First Leader, Winston Peters, said today.

He said that the concept of volunteers, auxiliaries, or specials as they are known in various parts of the world, is all about policing on the cheap.

“It is a form of Dad’s Army all over again. New Zealanders deserve a well funded, well trained and professional Police service, not a team of uniformed hobby bobbies.

“In Britain for example, the regular professional police in many country areas are stood down on weekends and public holidays just to avoid the need to pay penalty rates. Is Labour planning the same strategy here?

“Policing is a highly skilled profession, demanding intensive training and the understanding of complex laws. It is not an appropriate field for amateurs wanting to exercise some influence within their communities.

“A large number of police officers are still engaged in sheltered administrative positions in National Headquarters and we would be better served if they could be sent back into the community instead of putting enthusiastic volunteers at risk,” said Mr Peters.

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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>>