Speaking to reporters on Tuesday morning, Luxon said he "absolutely" believed Hipkins over Coster. Photo: RNZ
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says he accepts Chris Hipkins' word Andrew Coster never briefed him about the Jevon McSkimming scandal.
But New Zealand First is casting doubt on the claim, posting on social media: "is it not a fact"?
In an explosive interview on TVNZ's Q+A on Sunday, the former police commissioner Andrew Coster claimed both the former police minister Hipkins and current police minister Mark Mitchell had known more about the McSkimming affair than they had let on.
Coster said he had informally briefed Hipkins in mid-2022, and Mitchell in 2024 earlier than had been claimed.
Both Hipkins and Mitchell have strongly denied that.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday morning, Luxon said he "absolutely" believed Hipkins over Coster.
"All I can do is take him at his word," Luxon said. "There's no reason why I wouldn't."
Luxon has previously said he trusted Mitchell's account as well.
On Tuesday, Mitchell also told reporters that based on his own experience, he too sided with Hipkins: "I think that he's telling the truth."
Mitchell said Coster had a "very different recollection of events" to everyone else involved in the saga.
But in a tweet early on Tuesday morning, the official New Zealand First account posted: "Is it not a fact that Chris Hipkins knew about Jevon McSkimming affair in 2022 when he was Police Minister?"
Asked for his response on Tuesday, Hipkins responded succinctly: "It is not a fact".
Hipkins said he had searched his memories and checked with a staffer who was with him when Coster claimed the informal briefing took place.
"I checked that with the only other person who I could check that with. They've also verified that that conversation never happened."
Hipkins said if New Zealand First was questioning his word, then it was also questioning the word of Mitchell.
"That's probably something that the prime minister might want to take up with his former deputy."
RNZ has approached NZ First for comment.
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