Christopher Luxon demands answers as press secretary Michael Forbes resigns
The Prime Minister is demanding answers from multiple agencies about the Beehive's vetting and disclosure processes for staff following the
resignation of his deputy chief press secretary
.
Michael Forbes
quit on Wednesday
, and has apologised after accusations he recorded audio of sessions with sex workers, had intrusive photos of women in public, and footage of women shot through windows at night.
Christopher Luxon says the incidents, that were investigated by police but didn't lead to any charges, occurred after he was vetted to work for Social Development Minister Louise Upston.
"He has an obligation to actually declare those issues or those incidents to us, that didn't happen which is why his employment would have been terminated obviously.
"But there is a good question about making sure, and I have asked specifically for DIA (The Department of Internal Affairs) to look at vetting processes," Luxon said in a media conference at Parliament on Thursday morning.
Luxon said DIA had kicked off a "deep-dive into seeing what further actions are needed to actually strengthen our processes."
He also has questions about whether the investigation
should have been elevated by police
to the Beehive.
'We have to take this incident and understand what has happened here and how it happened, and what more can we do about it.
"I think it's a legitimate question to say what can we look at between the inter-agency processes, between the different agencies, whether it's police, whether it's the SIS or whether it's ministerial services."
Luxon says his sympathy is with the
RELATED] https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/563145/wellington-brothel-madam-speaks-on-pm-s-former-press-secretary-s-alleged-recording-of-sex-workers women who raised the allegations], and he was shocked by the news.
"I have zero tolerance for any behaviour that makes women or anyone feel unsafe, and this individual's conduct fell unacceptably short of the standards I expect from our people.
"And that's why you've seen us move within 24 hours of these allegations being put to us, this person is no longer employed in the Beehive," he said.
The Prime Minister is also open to looking at privacy laws after a call for a law change by the madam of the brothel at the centre of the accusations against Forbes.
More to come...
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