Haumaha to return to work 'bewildered' after IPCA report into his humiliation of staff

Thursday, 20 December 2018

Police deputy commissioner Wally Haumaha will keep his job after an Independent Police Conduct Authority report found he belittled and intimidated two women staffers.

Police deputy commissioner Wally Haumaha will return to his office unapologetic and 'bewildered' after the police watchdog found he humiliated and intimidated two women staffers.

A report by the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) found on Thursday the high-ranking cop aggressively asserted authority and belittled staff from Ministry of Justice and Corrections during a high-pressure project in 2016.

The IPCA also found he circulated confidential information in an attempt to discredit one of the women, after the two laid formal complaints in August.

The report - which said Haumaha's behaviour in moments met the common understanding of bullying, but was not persistent enough to constitute workplace bullying - is the third to come from a series of allegations which have beleaguered the deputy commissioner since June.

Cries for his dismissal were not met. After midday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the behaviour was 'clearly inappropriate' but there was no clear and proper basis to remove Haumaha from the position.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says she has sought advice on whether or not Wally Haumaha should be removed from his job.

* Haumaha complainants urge police to act on intimidating behaviour and 'dirty politics'

Deputy Police Commissioner Wallace Haumaha will keep his job after legal advice to the prime minister detailed no 'clear and proper' basis to support dismissal.

* Wally Haumaha belittled and humiliated staff, police watchdog says

* Haumaha 'looking forward' to continuing his work after report clears his appointment

* Haumaha bullying complainants say Government report 'lacks balance**

The women stood by their complaints and were disappointed; not because Haumaha retained his job, but because there seemed little remedy to come from the strong words issued by the IPCA: humiliating, intimidating, aggressive, and unprofessional.

Haumaha's lawyer, Gerard Dewar, said the IPCA report was 'closed-door justice', biased and sympathetic to the unnamed complainants whose own behaviour was not considered.

'This anonymity creates a framework within which anyone can say f…… anything, without ever being tested … We have no faith in the integrity of this process.'

Asked if Haumaha was apologetic for the incidents described in the report, Dewar said: 'I am able to say he's been bewildered by the events as they have unfolded.'

'Two years after the event, history seems to have been rewritten in a manner unfair to him. It's very hard to swallow.'

The argument in which Haumaha stood over one of the women was regretted. The meeting where he forcefully asked each team member to pledge their support to the project wouldn't be conducted the same way now.

Dewar was dismayed that the IPCA found his 'orthodox' advice to have Haumaha ask colleagues for support was found to be improper.

An open threat of judicial review remained, which Dewar said was considered on 'an hourly, and daily basis'.

'This matter has had the effect of putting his whole life on hold, it has been a gross intrusion into an otherwise unblemished career, and he continues to be attacked by the National Party - who previously supported him.'

Police Minister Stuart Nash said Haumaha's 'improper and unprofessional behaviour' required follow-up action, and he asked Police Commissioner Mike Bush to report back by January 17 on how future inter-agency work would be better managed.

Bush said he met with Haumaha on Thursday to 'reset' expectations and develop a plan - the details a confidential employment matter - to address the issues raised in the IPCA report.

'I'll be ensuring that deputy commissioner Haumaha upholds our values to the highest level.'

One woman who the IPCA said was belittled and intimidated by Haumaha asked, 'How do we know there's going to be accountability?

'Everything happening behind closed doors is what has got us into this problem in this first place.'

The complainant said while she didn't want Haumaha to lose his job, there appeared a chasm between dismissal and other reprimands for inappropriate behaviour.

She hoped the saga might pave the way for the next person who struggled with workplace bullying.

'Hopefully they can see that the IPCA report has taken these matters seriously. If we don't do it they just keep walking all over people.'

The second complainant, who is Māori, took issue with a claim Māoridom backed the embattled deputy commissioner.

'I am part of Māoridom. Māori men are yet again talking on behalf of us Māori women, where is our voice in this?'

Prior to the report, she was unaware Haumaha distributed her information received from a Corrections manager.

A complaint over the privacy breach may be pursued.

WHAT THEY SAID

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said: 'This behaviour is clearly inappropriate and I expect the standard to be lifted, and the commissioner of police to do that.'

Neville Baker, a member of the Māori Focus Forum, a consortium of senior iwi leaders who work with police, dismissed the IPCA report as unjust, unbalanced, and inconsistent with the findings of a prior Government inquiry. 'He's got the support of the police commissioner's forum and also the support of Māoridom.'

National Party police spokesman Chris Bishop said it was not tenable for Haumaha to remain deputy commissioner. 'You just can't have a situation where the second top police officer in the country distributes information to discredit complaints against him.'

Solicitor General Una Jagose QC said Haumaha's behaviour did not meet the threshold of removal from an office of 'such high constitutional value'.

State Services Commissioner Peter Hughes released a review into how Ministry of Justice and Corrections handled the bullying complaints in 2016. The departments failed to keep the women safe, and there was poor communication among the parties, the report said.