Support for men
Anew inquiry into how three government agencies handled bullying allegations against Deputy Commissioner Wally Haumaha is needed to restore public confidence, says the National Party.
MP Chris Bishop has written to State Services Commissioner Peter Hughes asking him to investigate the different statements issued by the Justice Ministry, Police and Corrections.
Three women working on a joint project walked out of Police National Headquarters because of alleged bullying by Haumaha.
The policy analysts, two from the Justice Ministry, one from Corrections, were based at PNHQ in Wellington working in the Maori, Pacific, Ethnic Services division run by Haumaha, a superintendent at the time.
Alleged verbal bullying contributed to the women leaving PNHQ in June 2016, feeling “devalued and disillusioned”. The trio told their managers, did not return to PNHQ, and continued working on the project from the Justice Ministry offices.
Conflicting accounts have emerged about what followed. Corrections said there was no record of alleged bullying, while the Justice Ministry confirmed issues were raised.
“The issues around behaviour were raised at the highest level between the acting chief executive of the ministry, Audrey Sonerson, and Deputy Commissioner of Police Mike Clement,” said deputy chief executive Colin Lynch.
“The ministry expected police to follow up this issue appropriately.”
And the police say an allegation of bullying was made to Clement by a “third party, external to all agencies”.
Since the story broke last week, one of the women has been corresponding with a senior manager from the Police Professional Conduct division about the process to lay a complaint.
Police Commissioner Mike Bush has confirmed his executive team was made aware last Friday of contact between Haumaha and a staff member, who used to work for Haumaha, in relation to the bullying allegations.
“This will be investigated and we are currently seeking further information about what has occurred to determine what steps are required,” said Bush. The bullying allegations from 2016 could fall into the scope of the inquiry into the process into Haumaha’s appointment as deputy commissioner. Mary Scholtens, QC, will start her inquiry next Monday.
Bishop told State Services Commissioner Peter Hughes that a separate inquiry was needed to examine the conflicting stories of Justice, Corrections and Police in regards to the three women refusing to work in Police National Headquarters.
“These inconsistencies mean an inquiry by SSC is warranted.
“It is clear that something has gone fundamentally wrong inside the state sector when three different departments have three different views about how to characterise these women’s complaints and what was done about them,” Bishop wrote to Hughes. A service offering 24-hour counselling and accommodation to men removed from their homes for committing family violence is expanding. Gandhi Nivas opened in Otahuhu in December 2014 as a place where men could stay for free when ordered away from their homes for up to five days under public safety orders. With more than 1000 men having been supported since 2014, the service opened its second centre in Te Atatu yesterday. Founder
Ranjna Patel says it was critical to work with these men to bring about change.