9. RON MARK (NZ First) Link to this
to the Minister of Police
Is she satisfied with the police’s handling of the purchase and roll-out of stab-resistant body armour; if not, why not?
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of Police) Link to this
As I have said on a number of occasions, I have not been entirely satisfied with the handling of that project; nor has the New Zealand Police. As the member knows, this project was taken over by Deputy Commissioner of Police Rob Pope and is now back on track, with a December 2007 date remaining for the final roll-out.
Has she received details of the Auditor-General’s inquiries into the purchase, which revealed that instead of allowing the manufacturer, Aegis, which knew what it was doing, to measure the vests and guarantee under contract a 99 percent success rate with the fit at no risk to the police, the police decided to try to save money by doing the measuring themselves and to accept the full financial risk of any mistakes made—a decision that resulted in a $2.7 million blow-out, with no ability to recover those costs from Aegis?
The member is correct. One of the issues that I think was incorrect was the initial measurement discrepancy. That has already been identified at the select committee by Deputy Commissioner of Police Rob Pope. It does not mean that the vests will not be used. As has already been pointed out by the police, the vests have been purchased and will be used for appropriately sized police. I also know that the Auditor-General’s office has looked at this issue and has informed the New Zealand Police that it believes the police have learnt lessons from the process and does not believe any further action is required.
Why, when professionals who are expert in the manufacture of body armour offered, for a small fee, to come out to New Zealand to conduct all the measuring, and offered to accept full responsibility for any errors made—to meet all costs of that; to replace all incorrectly fitting vests at no cost to the police—did the police say “No, we can do it better than them. We can save the pittance.”; and when the costs of getting it wrong are, and have been, so great, why would one turn such an offer down?
All I can say to the member is that that was an unwise decision by the former person in charge of this project, and, as the member knows, that person is no longer in charge of the project.
Does the Minister agree that rather than the contract being well measured, well fitted, and containing no slack and no slop, the cloth from which this contract was cut was found to be wanting, and the police have totally stitched themselves up and managed to do what no one else could, which is to make a sow’s ear out of a silk purse?
I commend the member on the obvious time he has taken to write that question. I think there is an element of truth in it. This project was not well handled. I have to say, however, that since Deputy Commissioner of Police Rob Pope took it over when he became deputy commissioner, it has been on track, and it will be completed by December 2007.
Simon PowerWhy are some police officers still waiting on stab-resistant vests, when all operational fisheries officers have been issued with them?
Hon Phil GoffCan I just commend my colleague’s interjection, which is true. For the member’s sake, I say I think there are considerably more police officers than fisheries officers. In fact, 6,114 police officers have vests. I do not think we have as many fisheries officers as that. The police intend to ensure that all front-line officers are wearing them, and they will have them by December.