He's going to be running the Government's new Social Investment Agency - and I reckon he's going to be good at this.
I acknowledge this might not be a popular appointment, I think a lot of people will see this for what it probably is - which is that it feels an awful lot like a job that’s been given to him to get him to leave the police because the Government doesn't want him there.
It also reinforces the idea that there's a job merry-go-round in Wellington, which is obviously true.
Plus, there'll be questions about why you'd reward somebody for being pretty bad at their previous job, which Coster definitely was. He was a shocker of a Police Commissioner.
And all those of those criticisms - many of which are already in my inbox - are completely valid.
But setting all that aside, I still think he will be good at this job.
This is in his wheelhouse. Andrew Coster never was a crack down on crime guy, he's a cotton wool guy, a believer in people’s potential guy, a 'give them another chance' guy.
He believes so much in the fence at the top of the cliff that he forgot his job was to actually run the ambulance at the bottom.
But this job is fence at the top of the cliff stuff. The point of this agency is to help people before they become criminals and invest in them when they’re still babies.
That's right up Coster’s alley, isn't it?
For all of his failings as a Police Commissioner - his inability to be tough on gangs or clear out the Parliamentary protest before it got out of hand - he's actually a very bright and decent guy.
I think it was just a case of the wrong job for the wrong guy and I'm happy he's leaving the police.
I hope we never have another Commissioner as weak on crime as him, but I think he'll be very good at what he does next - and it is a very important job.
Heather du Plessis-Allan is a journalist and commentator who hosts Newstalk ZB's Drive show HERE - where this article was sourced.
6 comments:
"I acknowledge this (Coster's new appointment) might not be a popular appointment, I think a lot of people will see this for what it probably is - which is that it feels an awful lot like a job that’s been given to him to get him to leave the police because the Government doesn't want him there."
Or is it that Coster has the dirt on one or more of National's hierarchy ?
No one can be hard on crime in NZ until it is accepted that maori/pacifica commit more, at least at the basic level . Comparison with other nations without maori/pacifica or equivalent are meaningless (ie northern europe, Japan, China) Sure some non maori evade prosecution by using paid lawyers but their effective penalty cost is often formidable. What astonishes me is the apparent non fear of imprisonment. Apart perhaps a ship cruise, I cannot imagine anything worse, cut off from hobbies, computer, selected msm, exercise, visual outlook. One wonders just how idle many lives are that they find prison undaunting. If the bleakness were more publicised, and the risk of gaol increased, perhaps more would behave. Moana Jackson's artful "imagine decolonisation" ethic now so firmly established among maori must be discredited as it effectively supports non compliance with the norms of civilised society
Yeah, hope is a good strategy!
Was it not possible to simply remove him due to poor performance? Why should we be rewarding people for this with what looks to be a promotion?
Heather, he was an absolute disaster, I only have some of the crime stats and none make good reading. He should have been sacked a long time ago.....except he was exactly what labour wanted. So actually he was a success! Go figure.
Imo statler and waldorf would have made better commissioners than him, what that tell you....
One can only hope his new political boss will have the good sense to ignore any and everything he might recommend.
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