Justice Ministry To Be Reviewed, As Minister’s Confidence In Agency ‘Seriously Shaken’

Lillian
Hanly Political Reporter

The
Minister of Justice has ordered a rapid review of his
ministry following its handling of a former employee, saying
his confidence in the agency has been “seriously
shaken.”

Paul Goldsmith said paying somebody for five
years without working “cannot be justified”, and he’s
“seriously concerned” about how it
occurred.

Goldsmith, who is also the public service
minister, has instructed all chief executives in the public
service be given strong guidance for managing employment
cases that involve criminal proceedings.

He said the
issue was mishandled consistently for five years.

“We
only found out about this entire episode because my office
asked. My confidence in the Ministry has been seriously
shaken by this,” said Goldsmith in a statement.

The
former Lotto presenter Russell Harrison had been arrested in
June 2021 as part of a global FBI sting targeting organised
crime and was granted interim name suppression.

He
began working at the Ministry of Justice as a kaiārahi –
Family Court navigator in 2021 when he was suspended on full
pay.

Goldsmith explained he had started going through
the recruitment process when the ministry received his
police vetting form, which showed he had criminal charges
pending, and was put on suspension.

He continued to
receive his taxpayer funded salary for five years, before
pleading guilty to a charge of money laundering early last
month. His employment was then terminated.

“He was a
lotto presenter, and he’s made a fool out of the Ministry of
Justice, and he probably thought that he had won the lotto,”
said Goldsmith.

It’s not clear yet how much Harrison
was paid out in total, but Goldsmith said it was “well over
half a million dollars.”

“It is far too much, and it
is very very poor use of public money and we expect a lot
better.”

Goldsmith has called it “utterly
unacceptable”, and said New Zealanders expect the public
service to be able to work their way through difficult
employment matters as business owners across the country do
every day.

He said he’d received an apology from the
Justice Secretary Andrew Kibblewhite, but his confidence has
been “seriously shaken.”

In his capacity as Minister
of Justice, he’s directed the Public Service Commission to
undertake a rapid review of the Ministry of
Justice.

It would be part of a review of the
ministry’s overall operations and performance and be
conducted by Debbie Francis and Steve Haszard.

In
his capacity as Minister for the Public Service, he’s
instructed Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche to
write to all chief executives, “setting out strong guidance
for managing employment cases that involve criminal
proceedings.”

He wasn’t aware of any other cases “as
egregious” as this, but said “we need to ensure there are
processes firmly in place to stop this from happening
again.”

Goldsmith said he’d be updated on both matters
regularly, and expected the review to take four to six
weeks.

“I recognise that chief executives must manage
these matters in accordance with fair employment processes,
however, that doesn’t mean passive management.”

“Where
an employee is on pay and not working, I expect agencies to
manage the matter actively, make timely decisions, and keep
the interests of taxpayers firmly in view.

“Paying
somebody for five years for not working cannot be
justified,” Goldsmith said.

Speaking to reporters
later on Wednesday afternoon, Goldsmith said “we’re
obviously very angry about the revelations.”

He
confirmed the ministry recently received advice it could
have removed Harrison as an employee earlier, but “they got
it wrong.”

“They went on misguided advice right
through the five years, thinking that they couldn’t get out
of this.”

It was only after Goldsmith’s office made
inquiries that the ministry looked into it “in some detail”
and concluded they got it wrong, he said.

“He was put
on suspension at the time,” but the recent advice showed his
employment could have been terminated at that
point.

“How they didn’t come to review that over the
last five years is inexplicable, and that is why my
confidence has been shaken.”

He also explained the
criminal record check and police vetting hadn’t been
received by the ministry until after Harrison started
working there, but Goldsmith said that often
happens.

He said the job offer is subject to the
successful passing of those vettings, and that’s “where the
opportunity was.”

“They didn’t take it, and it has
been – frankly – a comedy of errors over five
years.”

He doesn’t know how widespread the practice
was, of allowing people to start work ahead of vetting, but
expected everybody to have full vetting in place before
“they’re in front of vulnerable people.”

Goldsmith
said he was not defending it in “any way, shape, or
form.”

In terms of Sir Brian’s instructions, Goldsmith
said the primary point he would make was that he expects if
anything like this happens for more than two months, the
Public Service Commissioner expected this to be elevated to
senior management and dealt with in a “timely
manner.”

Goldsmith said no one had been put on leave
as a result of the review. He said he was suspending his own
judgement on whether he had confidence in the head of the
Ministry of Justice until he saw the outcome of the
review.

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