PRESS RELEASE: Commissioner's Whats App message obtained by NZ Outdoors and Freedom Party  Proves Police Nepotism

13th November, 2025.  

WhatsApp messages obtained by Sue Grey, leader of the NZ Outdoors and Freedom Party reveals longstanding cronyism between former Commissioner Coster and disgraced Jevon McSkimming.

In August 2022, well after senior police were on notice of the allegations against Jevon McSkimming,  Andrew Coster, the then Police Commissioner secured support from Chris Hipkins (then Minister of Police) and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for creating a statutory position for McSkimming. (see WhatsApp below) 

Cabinet signed off on new statutory roles for Deputy Commissioners in December 2022, and Jevon McSkimming was appointed by the Governor-General in May 2023, apparently without his checkered past being raised or addressed.

Coster continued to protect McSkimming throughout the process of recruiting his own replacement Commissioner, actively covering up investigation into McSkimmings past.

The Whatsapp messages, one of which is  below, were obtained as part of  the New Zealand Outdoors and Freedom Party (NZOFP)'s research which included many hundreds of OIA requests into the Covid response and police conduct during the 23 day protest at Parliament starting in February 2022.  Alan Simmons, party founder and former co-leader was admitted to hospital for a week, for an emergency hip replacement after he was assaulted by police with riot shields when he was videoing their aggressive behaviour early on 2 March 2022. He was 74 years of age at the time.  Despite a series of complaints to the police and IPCA, the grievous bodily harm that the police caused was never publicly acknowledged.  Alan's complaint was one of over 1900 complaints about police excessive use of force, infliction of injuries, lack of respect for fundamental human rights and the use of weapons including LRAD and Rubber Bullets against the New Zealand public who were peacefully protesting against oppressive and discriminatory mandates.

The OIA's include 60 pages of other WhatsApp Messages between Andrew Coster as Police Commissioner, Prime Minister Ardern and various Ministers at a time when the police claimed to be politically independent.

The Whatsapps and subsequent events show the history of nepotism is deep, and while the new statutory role for disgraced Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming was promoted as enhancing independence between police and politicians, it in fact highlighted the opposite.

McSkimmings statutory role as Deputy Commissioner was approved by the Labour cabinet in Dec 2023 and he was appointed by the Governor General, with the stated objective of protecting police independence.

There appears to have been no short list for candidates for the new statutory role of Deputy Commissioner that Coster pushed for, with support from former Prime Ministers Chris Hipkins and Jacinda Ardern.

Instead the Cabinet approved and the Governor General rubber stamped the existing deputy commissioners Jevon Mcskimming and Tania Kura without review of their fitness to hold these roles.

Key documents

The Cabinet-paper/tracking briefing that sets out the background for the creation of the statutory Deputy Commissioner role in New Zealand Police states:

“Appointments: Deputy Commissioners of Police” (Public Service Commission briefing for the Prime Minister/Minister for Police) dated 3 April 2023.
Key extracts explaining the rationale:

• In December 2022, Cabinet “agreed to establish one or more additional statutory Deputy Commissioners of Police.”
• Deputy Commissioners are appointed by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, under the Policing Act 2008.
• One of the key reasons for the statutory role is that, if the Commissioner is incapacitated or absent, one of the statutory deputies will assume the office until an acting Commissioner is appointed.
• It notes the appointment process must satisfy a ‘fit and proper person’ test (honest/trustworthy with the necessary experience) and that the Public Service Commission managed the process on behalf of the Prime Minister and Minister for Police.

ENDS

Contact: leader Sue Grey LLB Hons, BSc (Biochemistry and Microbiology), RSHDipPHI 

Leader NZ Outdoors and Freedom Party