A police boss retains the support of the state government but has been chided after details emerged of another two undeclared taxpayer-funded helicopter flights.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush denies allegations he misled taxpayers about the extent of his use of the police aircraft.
In October, he apologised for using the police helicopter to travel from Melbourne to Hobart for a meeting with his national and trans-Tasman counterparts.
‘Not lived up to expectations’: NZ’s former top cop under fire in Oz – Watch on TVNZ+
At the time, he said he had only previously used Victoria Police’s air wing for a plane flight to Porepunkah after the death of two police officers in August.
It later emerged that Bush’s wife joined a 10-minute flight over Melbourne on June 28 after accepting an invitation from a senior police member.
The commissioner also took another undisclosed flight on July 29.
Now Victoria police boss, Mike Bush is being criticised for his flights on the taxpayer-funded Airwing chopper. (Source: 1News)
Bush, a former New Zealand Police Commissioner, said he had only been on the helicopter once for non-operational travel, a decision that triggered his previous apology.
That flight was deemed necessary to understand the unique technology of the state’s air-wing fleet, he 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,” Mr Bush said in a statement.
“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.”
Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny would not be drawn on whether Bush had misled the public but said he still enjoyed the government’s confidence and was doing a “good job”.
“On this occasion the commissioner has not lived up to expectations,” she told reporters.
Opposition Leader Brad Battin said questions remained about whether community safety or police operations were impacted, or if there was any additional cost to Victorians.
“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.
“With the police commissioner leading a major restructure under tight budget restraints, Victorians deserve transparency and accountability.”
Bush took over control of the state force in June after Shane Patton resigned following a union-led no-confidence vote in his leadership. He has since vowed to restructure the force and restore public trust.
Public confidence in Victoria Police fell further in the last 12 months from 61.9% to 58.8% well short of the 82%.
“Public trust and confidence of the community is vital to policing,” the commissioner wrote in Victoria Police’s 2024/25 annual report.
“In the coming 12 months, community will be at the heart of everything we do.”
