Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush has defended his use of the police helicopter after confirming he flew in it a second time, and that his wife also took a 10-minute flight. Last month, Bush apologised for travelling to Hobart in the helicopter for a conference, calling it 'the wrong decision'.
Commissioner Bush issued a further statement following reports of another flight on July 29, which he said was organised for him to familiarise himself with the air wing. He also spent time with the Special Operations Group, Critical Incident Response Team and Bomb Response Unit. '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,' he said.
Victoria Police said the Air Wing fleet was highly unique and different from the fleet Bush oversaw in New Zealand, necessitating familiarisation. Bush stated, 'I have only used the Victoria Police Air Wing helicopter once for non-operational travel. This was in relation to a recent trip to Hobart and I have rightly publicly apologised for this.'
The flight involving the chief commissioner's wife occurred on June 28 and also involved two visiting police officers from New Zealand. Victoria Police said she was invited on the 10-minute flight by a senior member of the Air Wing, and the chief commissioner was not onboard.
Victorian Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny said Bush continued to hold the confidence of the state government regarding his work overhauling Victoria Police, but added, 'I will say I think on this occasion the commissioner has not lived up to expectations, but I will leave it up to him to address any of those matters.'
