Wellington, July 1 NZPA - Police Commissioner Howard Broad said a police commissioner's lot was a controversial one.

"It is part and parcel of the job."

Some of the issues that plagued his tenure include:

Tasers

The arming of police was not a solely operational matter, he said.

The public would want to have their say.

"And how do you go about that...to arrange for a debate to be had in Parliament. That was the intention, it was not a political act, it was simply trying to get a further mandate for something I felt uncomfortable as a solely operational decision."

Armed police

"I don't think we'll get to the point of general arming. I don't think the people of New Zealand want that,"

He did not believe the majority of police wanted that but there were questions around how accessible firearms needed to be.

"What I believe is that those police officers who are out and about on a 24-seven basis need a better tactical appreciation of how to deal with armed incidents."

Urewera raids

Mr Broad said he regretted that there were people in the Tuhoe and Maoridom in general who felt invaded by the action we took.

"At the same time I could not sit idly by and do nothing (with the information he had)."

People were polarised on the issues which was sad, he said.

"It is my hope, realising that we've got court cases still to come, that in the fullness of time there will be a coming together of Tuhoe and the police at a commissioner level and if that takes place on my watch that'll be great. If it has to happen in the future then I'll do everything I can to support the commissioner of the day.

"It is a matter of great angst to me that there is this issue between us."

Politics

Mr Broad said the change of government was a hard time.

"We (Ms Collins and Mr Broad) had maybe a six-month period of bedding in with each other, we were quiet different people."

However, by the end of last year they were settled on a policy programme and the relationship had been a very happy one, he said.

Mr Broad said he did not think he was too close to the former Labour government.

It was clear that he had been a loyal public servant and had been pushing hard in the interest of this government, he said.

Review of Police Act

Mr Broad said this was a once in 50-year event.

It was achieved without controversy and with unanimous support from political parties.