15 Facts About Mike Bush

Michael Dennis Bush is a former New Zealand police officer and upcoming Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police.

Mike Bush served as the New Zealand Commissioner of Police from April 2014 until April 2020.

Mike Bush has been appointed as the next Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police in Australia in May 2025 and will take the office in late June.

Mike Bush joined the New Zealand Police in 1978, working at both CIB and Frontline Policing.

Mike Bush was the first New Zealand official on the scene of this incident, arriving on Phuket to assist with relief.

Mike Bush was awarded the New Zealand Special Service Medal recognising this work.

Mike Bush introduced additional core values of "Empathy" and "Valuing Diversity" in an effort to make cultural changes following the 2007 Commission of Inquiry into Police.

Mike Bush was reappointed to the role of commissioner in 2017 for a second term that ran until April 2020.

Mike Bush was appointed to lead the operational arm of the COVID-19 All-of-Government Response Group on 23 March 2020 and continued to hold this role after retiring from the New Zealand Police in April 2020.

Since leaving the police, Mike Bush has been working as a private investigator and runs his own international consulting firm specialising in leadership consulting, risk management and security.

In 2023, Mike Bush led the independent review into Auckland Council's emergency management system and preparedness following the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods.

On 5 May 2025, The Age newspaper reported Mike Bush would be appointed Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police, succeeding Acting Chief Commissioner Rick Nugent.

In 2017 it was revealed that Mike Bush had been convicted in 1983 of a drink driving offence while off-duty.

Mike Bush was a member of the State Services Commission panel that recommended the appointment of Wally Haumaha to a Deputy Commissioner role in June 2018.

Bush was warned against this appointment by senior officers including Mike Clements, given the historic comments made by Haumaha in regards to the investigation of alleged offences against Louise Nicholas.