The Corrections Minister says she's had no problem working with the head of Corrections in the past, and if he remains in the job, she's confident she'll be able to do so in the future.
Chief executive Barry Matthews has confirmed he intends to stay on, following a highly critical report into the way his department manages offenders on parole.
Mr Matthews denies there was any pressure on him to resign or that he had been offered another job. Following the release of the report on Tuesday 17 February, Corrections Minister Judith Collins declined to express confidence in Mr Matthews.
Speaking for the first time since then, Mr Matthews described his relationship with the minister as "good", and said that he shared her concerns about the report's findings.
Ms Collins has given the State Services Commissioner 10 days to look into who is accountable for what the report identified as failures in the management of parole.
'Failed to follow its own requirements'
The highly critical report by Auditor-General Kevin Brady into the handling of parole slip-ups was conducted after parolee Graeme Burton murdered Karl Kuchenbecker in 2007.
Mr Brady's report criticised the way the department handled offenders on parole, saying its practices might have posed a risk to public safety.
It found that, in most cases, the department had failed to follow one or more of its own requirements on the management of offenders' sentences.
The report says Corrections ignored its own safety rules, mismanaged cases and appears to be under-resourced.
Mr Brady's recommendations include requiring the department to ensure offenders are not housed near their victims when placed back in the community.
The department says it has dealt with many of the deficiencies identified in the report.
PSA pleased
The Public Service Association says it's pleased Mr Mathews will not resign.
The PSA, which represents parole officers, says if he did resign, it would not solve problems at the department.
But Act Party MP, David Garrett, says he is shocked by Mr Matthews' refusal to stand down, saying he should be held responsible for the findings in the report.
Meanwhile, Corrections Minister Judith Collins has accused Labour MP Clayton Cosgrove of deliberately misleading the public over Mr Matthews' position.
Mr Cosgrove claims that Mr Matthews was called into the State Services Commission, where it was suggested he resign in return for six month's work elsewhere.
Mr Matthews says no such meeting took place and Ms Collins says Clayton Cosgrove has made outrageous and false statements.
Clayton Cosgrove says his information came from credible sources, and he stands by his comments.
