How Low Can the Incompetence Go?

Unbelievable, But True

As inconceivable as it may appear, the fox has been put in charge of the henhouse--in real life.  New Zealand is being run by government agencies that are either incompetent, ignorant, or infantile, or, on the other hand, government departments have become front organizations for criminal gangs.

Consider the following:  

A high-profile gang member has been stood down from his role within the Royal Commission of Inquiry into historic state abuse months after multiple allegations of domestic violence were raised.

Harry Tam, a long-time member of the Mongrel Mob, was the facilitator of the inquiry's Survivors Advisory Group, a position that gave him the authority to appoint gang-affiliated men and women to the group, and access survivors' personal information.

The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in Care released a statement Friday morning stating it was aware of allegations raised against "a staff member" and had commenced an independent investigation, but would not comment on the nature of the allegations. The Commission said the matter has been referred to New Zealand Police.  [Stuff]

So, here is this leading gang member who has allegations of domestic abuse and assault made against him.  He has been appointed to help run an inquiry into historical abuse suffered by those in state care.  Apparently his bosses thought he would be a sitter for this particular sinecure because he had first-hand knowledge of domestic violence.  He has been a front-line perp it would seem. 

Harry Tam's former partner complained.

Mildon said she first approached Tam's boss, executive director Mervin Singham, two months ago with concerns about Tam's history of domestic violence and his recent alcohol use, hoping Singham would arrange for him to get counselling.

In emails between the two sent in April Mildon detailed several occasions Tam had allegedly been violent with her over the years including in July 2017 at a Wairarapa hotel when police were called and Tam was issued a Police Safety Order to stay away from Mildon for the next three days.  Singham responded he would "need to balance the employment relationship that Harry and I have and any compassionate support I provide him" but was "concerned" for Mildon. 

What?  His boss, when confronted with the complaint, thought it needed a bit of "balancing".  Singham deserves the Byzantine Bureaucrat of the Decade award.  Former Harry Tam partner, Mildon kept going:

Nearly two months later she emailed him again to tell him, though the two had separated, Tam had been arriving in the middle of the night and coming into her bedroom.  "I would wake up with him standing over me," she said.

Mildon said she learned later a Wellington woman and survivor of state abuse had also made allegations of Tam's threatening and violent behaviour to Singham.   It is understood this woman has approached police.  Mildon said she was told Tam had been stood down from his role within the inquiry. 

But Harry Tam was too important to remove from his weighty position--at least initially.  As director of research and policy for the Royal Commission he was able to appoint lots of kindred spirits to the inquiry.  The fox wanted more after his own image to get a "result" that accurately reflected the real government of New Zealand--the vast network of criminal gangs. 

Tam subsequently appointed Rangi Wickliffe who was convicted in 2015 for falsely claiming he shot dead Douglas Witere in April 2014 in the hope he would receive $100,000 from the actual perpetrator, Troy McHugh, and former Papamoa community patrol volunteer, Gregory Molony, who in 2013 was convicted for impersonating a police officer while trying to find a female escort.

Only in New Zealand could one find the malevolence of criminal gangs happily exploiting the incompetence of government bureaucrats within the halls of government.