What's going on with the police officer who became a Labour candidate?

Police Minister Mark Mitchell says he was already worried about a sensitive meeting that senior police officer Rakesh Naidoo attended — and that was before Naidoo told anyone at Police he was thinking about standing for the Labour Party. Mitchell made the comments on 13 August 2026 RNZ.

Naidoo is a senior police officer who manages relationships with ethnic, iwi (tribal), and community groups. On 8 June, the Labour Party confirmed him as a candidate for the next election. He was placed 13th on their party list, which under New Zealand's MMP system meant he was almost certain to get into Parliament. Police Commissioner Richard Chambers has since said Naidoo can no longer do his police job, because of questions about his access to sensitive information RNZ; Stuff.

Police are carrying out an internal review into what happened during the time Naidoo was talking to Labour. According to their own timeline, the process began in the week starting 25 May. Naidoo told his boss, assistant commissioner Tim Anderson, that he was thinking about standing for Labour about two weeks before the 8 June announcement. On 28 May, Naidoo gave Anderson printed copies of police rules, public service guidelines, and the Electoral Act — the law that governs elections — to work out what steps he would need to take if he decided to run RNZ.

Anderson has confirmed Naidoo first mentioned it to him a week before the commissioner was told. Anderson did not pass it on at that point because Naidoo had not made a final decision, so he kept it to himself. When Naidoo came back the next week to say he was going ahead, Anderson told the commissioner straight away. Anderson has apologised for the one-week delay RNZ.

Mitchell said he spoke to the commissioner twice, on 8 and 9 June, about the situation and about his concerns over how long it took for the information to come out. He was the first person to raise concerns about Naidoo after Labour announced its list, because Naidoo's job meant he had access to sensitive briefings NZ Herald. Mitchell said he was disappointed Naidoo had not spoken up earlier about his conversations with Labour RNZ; NZ Herald.

The minister has refused to release details about the sensitive briefing. He used a specific part of the Official Information Act — section 6(c) — which lets the government hold back information if releasing it could affect law enforcement, including investigations and the right to a fair trial RNZ.

Naidoo had been at events with Mitchell as recently as the day before the minister made his statement on 13 August. Mitchell has also said community leaders who supported Naidoo have been attacking his character RNZ; RNZ.

The broader context here is about keeping politics and the public service separate. Police officers, especially senior ones who see classified information, are expected to stay neutral. Naidoo's role put him close to both government policy and the minister himself. The fact that Mitchell was worried about a specific briefing before anyone knew Naidoo was interested in politics suggests the review may need to look at more than just when people were told.

The minister's choice to use section 6(c) of the Official Information Act is worth noting. That section is normally used when releasing information could get in the way of police work or court cases — not for everyday political appointments. That suggests this is as much about police integrity as it is about an employment issue. The review's findings will be watched closely for what they reveal about who knew what and when within police leadership, and whether any lines were crossed while Naidoo was talking to Labour and still working as a police officer.