Labour supporting mainstream media in NZ are hesitant to criticise Police Commissioner Coster. He’s like them, a soft left wing wokester. Frontline police are unhappy about his leadership, and at the annual Police enquiry, shadow Justice Minster Simon Bridges reads Coster a letter from a senior officer explaining why.

The letter examples Coster’s undermining of Police by failing to wear a uniform when addressing the Black Lives Matter protesters. The Commissioner saw his uniform as a barrier to bonding and establishing trust within the community.