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Chris Hipkins wants police to ‘front up’ and explain ‘ongoing matter’ with Rakesh Naidoo
Labour leader Chris Hipkins says police need to “front up” and “explain what is going on”, following comments by the Police Minister about Labour’s top cop candidate Rakesh Naidoo.
It comes after Police Minister Mark Mitchell last week said there was an “ongoing matter” in relation to Naidoo, but would not say what it was.
On Monday, following questions from RNZ, Hipkins said he had “absolute confidence in Rakesh Naidoo”.
“He has behaved with absolute integrity throughout this process.”
Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz
Hipkins said Mitchell “should not be using his position as minister of police to make unsubstantiated insinuations against the character of a rival political candidate”.
“Neither Mr Naidoo nor the Labour Party have any idea what is actually being alleged.
“The police need to front up here and explain what is going on.”
In response, Mitchell told RNZ Hipkins “should not be commenting on something that has nothing to do with him”.
“As I have said I am unable to comment any further as I am observing the rules around 6c of the Official Information Act.
“That is the response I gave when asked by media about Mr Naidoo. I have nothing further to add.”
Naidoo’s candidacy – announced in June – prompted public criticism from Police Commissioner Richard Chambers and minister Mark Mitchell, both claiming the superintendent should have declared his intentions earlier.
An internal review later concluded that Naidoo had complied with police policy, though noted it would have been “prudent” for him to have given his superiors more advance warning.
In response to media questions last week Mitchell said there were “two or three different facets to this situation”.
“And they have dealt with one of them.”
RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
After the review’s findings were announced, Mitchell confirmed to RNZ he had two phone calls with Chambers on 8 and 9 June.
“[The calls] were to discuss the situation, including the response to media queries, concerns the minister held in relation to the disclosure timeline, including pre-existing concerns regarding a sensitive briefing Mr Naidoo had attended with the minister prior to Mr Naidoo advising anyone at police of his political intentions.”
Mitchell declined to release information in relation to the sensitive briefing under section 6 (c) of the Official Information Act.
Section 6 (c) relates to prejudicing the maintenance of the law, including the prevention, investigation, and detection of offences, and the right to a fair trial.
Mitchell’s office confirmed to RNZ earlier this month the grounds for withholding under Section 6c of the OIA still applied.
Mitchell referred to the OIA again last week and said “the OIA is very clear it says there’s matters that can’t be disclosed because there’s an ongoing matter”.
RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
He said he was unable to comment further.
Hipkins said last week Mitchell had “crossed a line here”.
“He is the minister of police, and he is using that office to spread claims about a Labour candidate who doesn’t even know what the specific accusation against him is. You cannot use the power of the police portfolio to invent allegations against political opponents.
“Mark Mitchell should be ashamed of himself. Mark Mitchell should not be commenting, directing or be privy to police employment matters.”
Police declined to comment last week.
RNZ earlier asked for comment on whether there was an investigation into Naidoo.
A police spokesperson said “we have no further comment on the matter”.
Speaking to RNZ earlier for the first time since being recruited by Labour, Naidoo said he would not do anything differently with hindsight, pointing to a police review which cleared him of any wrongdoing.
In a sit-down interview marking his entry into the election campaign, Naidoo remained diplomatic about the criticism levelled at him by his superiors.
“In my view, they were expressing themselves based on the information that they had,” he said.
“I am grateful that once they looked into it, the review found that I’d follow the right process.”
rnz
The chief executive of the Parliamentary Service is confident there will be enough room to accommodate the increased number of MPs and their staff coming into Parliament.
On current numbers, up to 131 MPs could be sitting in the Chamber following the election, brought on by a record overhang result.
Clerk of the House of Representatives Dr David Wilson told the Spinoff that currently the debating chamber had enough chairs to seat 124 MPs – including the Speaker of the House – and work was being done to accommodate more by altering the seating arrangement.
In a statement, Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said planning for a larger Parliament had been going for “some time”.
“Now that the election results have confirmed an increase to the number of members we are looking at several options.
“We are confident we will be able to accommodate all members within the Chamber.”
VNP / Phil Smith
Gonzalez-Montero said office accommodation for members and their staff would be “stretched” for a short time, but the new Members’ Building was only a few months away from “practical completion”.
That building – located behind Parliament – was due to be ready to occupy in April next year and had capacity to accommodate around 30 backbench MPs.
“All members should be in fit-for-purpose accommodation from that point,” Gonzalez-Montero said.
Following the 2023 election, 123 MPs sat in the Chamber – a record number at the time. That decreased to 122 following the resignation of National MP Judith Collins.
Collins held the seat of Papakura and stepped down in May and Parliament voted against holding a by-election because it was too close to the election.
The election result also meant high-ranking National Party MPs like Chris Bishop, Paul Goldsmith, Nicola Willis and Gerry Brownlee – Speaker of the House and an MP for 30 years – would likely not make it back into Parliament.
Only resigning or retiring MPs were permitted to give a valedictory speech meaning none of them would get the chance to give a valedictory statement.
Asked if their would be special allowances for valedictories, Wilson said in a statement that normally only MPs were allowed to speak in the House but the House could suspend its own rules or temporarily alter them.
“It could do so to allow former members to address the House.”
Wilson said no such arrangements could be made until the next Parliament opened and members sworn in.
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