National’s Simon Bridges says police commissioner Andrew Coster is too ‘awake’ for work

National Justice spokesman Simon Bridges says Police Chief Andrew Coster is a “labor commissioner” and is unfit for the job.

Bridges accused Coster of putting “being nice” before applying the law.

“What you see is, straight from the top, an agency or police force that has a lot less to do with arrest, much less to do with catching gangs and criminals despite the huge problems in our society right now.

“And much more about being fashionable and doing things to impress a lot of wokesters.”

Bridge’s attack comes as National prepares to crack down on crime and gangs.

On Friday, Bridges tweeted an NZ Herald story in which Coster said police cannot “stop their way” out of the organized crime problem and promises that staff will take a nuanced approach to working with communities.

He called Coster a “wokester commissioner” and said his “soft, soft approach” would lead to a worsening of gun and gang violence.

Reporters asked Bridges why he had called Coster a “wokester commissioner.” He replied, “Because it is.”

“I think he’s done a lot of things where he wanted to put ‘being nice’ in a variety of things ahead of the law of the land and catching criminals.”

Coster’s commitment to “consent policing” was not married to the law, and while police were required to have a social license, the commissioner was not well balanced, Bridges said.

“I don’t think it’s his role and I think he’s misplaced doing it.”

Bridges refused to be swayed by what specifically caused Coster to wake up, but denied that his language as a deputy towards the police commissioner was irresponsible.

He said the police had their wrong priorities when they failed to serve 70 gang members who were on a street in his Tauranga constituency or showed up when someone was beaten in a store.

“If that’s consent policing, it’s fundamentally wrong.”

Coster will appear before the Justice Select Committee, which Bridges sits on, on Thursday for the annual police review.

Bridges said he was “really anxious.”

Police have been contacted for comment.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Bridges’ comments were a “very strange departure” from the established convention on police independence, but said that doesn’t mean the commissioner should be above criticism.

“I don’t know what the commissioner has done to be a target of the Opposition in that way. I think it’s unfair.”

Meanwhile, Nationals corrections spokesman Simeon Brown has attacked Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis for not “being in his portfolio.”

“We need an investigation into whether Kelvin Davis is in his portfolio.”

When asked about Brown’s attacks, Davis replied, “Who cares what Simeon Brown says? Who is he?”

Brown would not say what the investigation into the minister would look like, instead turning to say that there had to be an independent investigation into the six-day riots at the Waikeria prison that happened under Davis’s supervision.

Brown said that when Davis was in the Opposition, he demonstrated against the government whenever something went wrong.

“Now that he is in government, he is more silent. He needs to take responsibility for what is happening in these situations and respond whether he considers it acceptable or not.”

It also noted that Davis requested a briefing from the Department of Corrections on a judge’s decision that inmates at Auckland Women’s Prison were treated “degradingly” and “inhumanely”.

“It was a court case that went through the courts and it doesn’t even appear to have been reported on about it. This raises the question: Is Kelvin Davis really in your portfolio or not? That’s a very serious question.

“It is one of the most important government portfolios, it is the third ranked minister. He needs to convey the details.”

He said the minister needed to take responsibility for ensuring that the prison system stays in line with his Hōkai Rangi strategy, which is designed to try to make sure our prison system is more humane.

Davis said it took a long time and effect to change an entire system and that they had only been on Hōkai Rangi’s five-year strategy for a year.

When asked about Simon Bridge’s comments, National Party Deputy Leader Shane Reti said he preferred to talk about politics rather than personalities.

He had not yet spoken to Bridges about his comments, but he said he trusted his colleague.

“I am of the opinion, and I am sure that Simon is also of the opinion, that if we focus on politics, and not personalities, the best results can be obtained.”