Winston Peters says the Police Commissioner was "wrong" to say the Government's target of 1800 new police included attrition, or officers that will leave over time.
Police Commissioner Mike Bush appeared before the Justice Select Committee on Thursday and was asked by National MP Brett Hudson to clarify confusion over the Government's target.
Hudson asked Bush: "Do you stand by that the target for 1800 police is 1800 new police and that includes the fact that some will leave over a period of time?"
- Where the extra 1800 police officers will go
- Confusion over Government's 1800 new police target
- Police recruitment numbers falling well short of Government promise
The outgoing Police Commissioner replied, "Yes."
That's despite the Government appearing to change the target last month to 1800 graduates, not taking into account attrition, causing confusion about exactly what the policy is.
In Parliament on Thursday, National leader Simon Bridges asked the Prime Minister if there are now two different new 1800 police targets.
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, standing in for Jacinda Ardern, pointed to New Zealand First's coalition agreement with Labour where the policy came from.
"Strive towards adding 1800 new Police officers over three years," it says.
"There was never anywhere a statement being net new - words matter," Peters said. "What the coalition agreement says is to strive to ensure that there are 1800 frontline new police."
Bridges pointed to the comments made at the Justice Select Committee where the Police Commissioner agreed that the target included attrition, or net referring to the amount left over after all deductions are made.
"As much as I admire Police Commissioner Bush, by adding the word net, he got it wrong," Peters said.
What caused the confusion?
In October, Police Minister Stuart Nash told police it would be tough to reach the Government's goal of 1800 new officers in three years.
"The reason we said strive is because it was aspirational. There's no doubt about that," he told a Police Association conference.
The reason he said the goal was aspirational was because it would be new police over and above those who leave the force - or the net amount.
"It's why we promised you 1800 new police. Now, that's 1800 new police over and above the current rate, not 1800 more graduates," Nash said.
But later that week, Nash told Parliament the target would be achieved, because it changed to simply 1800 graduates - not taking into account attrition.
The goalposts appeared to have shifted after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern claimed in Parliament the target would be met this term.
The Police Minister appeared to be juggling two goals: on the one hand, claiming his own policy is to strive for 1800 net new police over and above officers who leave.
The other goal is the promise to New Zealand First of the much more achievable target of 1800 trained recruits.
Newshub.
