Chief Commissioner Mike Bush has again defended his use of a taxpayer-funded police helicopter, after new details revealed he has taken more than one flight on the Victoria Police air wing.
In a statement sent by Victoria Police on Wednesday, Bush rejected suggestions he had misled Victorians over the extent of his use of the aircraft, insisting he had only ever boarded it twice.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush.Credit: Justin McManus
Two weeks after apologising for using the helicopter for non-operational travel to a conference in Tasmania, Bush reiterated that this was the sole occasion he had used the air wing for personal or non-operational purposes.
“This was in relation to a recent trip to Hobart and I have rightly publicly apologised for this,” he said.
Bush said he had only been onboard the air wing helicopter one other time, which he said was purely for educational and operational purposes shortly after he began his tenure.
This flight occurred on July 29, as part of a day organised to familiarise the new chief commissioner with the force’s operational capabilities, including the Special Operations Group, Critical Incident Response Team, and Bomb Response Unit.
“As a new chief commissioner, I have been very clear that I need a proper understanding of how the organisation works,” Bush said.
“This day was organised with this in mind and provided me with a deeper knowledge of how our elite units work to keep Victoria safe.
“To be clear, this flight was not for non-operational travel – it was to gain a very real understanding of how the air wing operates in the air which simply cannot be achieved from ground level.”
Bush has previously been on the air wing to travel to Porepunkah in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of two police officers.Credit: Justin McManus
The flight was deemed necessary by Victoria Police for Bush to understand the unique technology of Victoria’s air wing fleet, which differs from the fleet he oversaw in New Zealand. The flight, which included his executive assistant, was already returning to the Victoria Police Centre for helipad training.
The Herald Sun revealed that Bush’s wife, Vicky, also joined a separate, 10-minute flight over Melbourne on June 28.
The flight was arranged by a senior member of the air wing to educate two senior New Zealand police officials, an assistant commissioner, and an executive director, on the air wing’s capabilities. Although Bush was not on board this flight, his wife joined after receiving an invitation from the same senior member.
Opposition Leader Brad Battin said Victorians deserve transparency and accountability from Bush.
“At a time when Victoria is in the middle of a crime crisis, the public must have full confidence in Victoria Police leadership,” he said.
“The questions remain: Was there any impact on community safety or police operations? Was there any additional cost to Victorians? What will the government do to protect the integrity of all police officers?”
Two weeks ago, Bush admitted his flight to the conference in Hobart on October 20 was an error of judgment that didn’t “pass the pub test”.
One of Victoria Police’s air-wing helicopters being unveiled in 2020.Credit: Eddie Jim
Bush and a staff officer flew to Hobart in a police helicopter – generally used for police operations such as tracking stolen vehicles or missing person searches – to attend a police conference, where the helicopter remained grounded overnight due to a mechanical issue.
The police chief said the unplanned overnight stay had added small accommodation costs for the crew, but the flight was otherwise within Victoria Police’s contracted monthly flying hours for October and would not result in additional costs for taxpayers.
He said the flight hadn’t impacted the police’s operational capacity or community safety, since it was on board a backup helicopter generally used for training flights, rather than crime-fighting
“We’ve got to make the right decisions. This wasn’t one of them. I am very prepared to own it, address it, and make sure it never occurs again,” he said at the time.
Bush has previously been on the air wing to travel to Porepunkah in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of two police officers.
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