Source: Radio New Zealand
Sunny Kaushal is the chair of a ministerial advisory group on retail crime. RNZ / Calvin Samuel
- Ministerial Advisory Group for Victims of Retail Crime to disband four months early
- Winding up comes after three of its five members resigned
- Group’s spending has come under fire.
The ministerial advisory group charged with tackling retail crime will be disbanded months earlier than planned after a string of resignations.
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has confirmed today that the group – which has faced criticism for its spending – will wind up in May.
The Ministerial Advisory Group for Victims of Retail Crime was originally set up for two years until September.
Confirmation of its early demise comes after RNZ revealed last month that three of the group’s five members had resigned in recent weeks.
One of them – Retail NZ chief executive Carolyn Young – said her relationship with chairman Sunny Kaushal had become untenable.
Foodstuffs North Island senior manager Lindsay Rowles also resigned this year and Michael Hill national retail manager Michael Bell quit late last year.
This left just Kaushal and Hamilton liquor retailer Ash Parmar.
Young told RNZ Kaushal was not the right person to chair the group, which had an “unpleasant environment”.
RNZ has contacted Kaushal for comment.
The advisory group is renting an office in this Symonds Street building. RNZ / Marika Khabazi
The group has faced criticism over its spending, including on catered meetings around New Zealand and for its inner-city Auckland office space, which is rented for $120,000 a year.
It has also faced questions about its value for money after it was revealed that Kaushal invoiced more than $230,000 for work in its first 12 months.
Kaushal has previously the group’s work, saying it operates under its $1.8 million annual budget, which comes from the proceeds of crime fund.
Minister defends group’s work
Goldsmith confirmed the group would cease earlier than planned.
“For various reasons, three of the members have left, and we could either go through the performance of reappointing them, or just wind it up early,” he said.
“The MAG has been very successful in getting all the work done. We’ve got the Crimes Act changes in the House.
“They’ve provided advice on, sort of, anti-social behaviour, which we’ll have more to say on the next couple of weeks, and they’ve also work around trespass laws.
“They’ve got a couple of issues that they’re going to finish – one on facial recognition, and the other one on the security industry.”
RNZ revealed last year that one of the proposals the group had recommended was allowing shop keepers to defend themselves with pepper spray – a restricted weapon.
At the time, Young told RNZ that Retail NZ was opposed to that move due to safety fears.
The Security Association also made a submission opposing the move.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
