Police superintendent told his manager about Labour candidacy two weeks before selection

Superintendent Rakesh Naidoo first told his police manager he was considering standing as a Labour Party candidate about two weeks before he was confirmed as a list-only candidate, according to information released under the Official Information Act RNZ.

Naidoo was confirmed on 8 June as a list-only Labour candidate ranked 13th on the party list. Under New Zealand's MMP system, list candidates enter Parliament based on their ranking and the party's share of the vote — 13th is high enough to almost guarantee a seat. Naidoo is an ethnic, iwi and communities relationships manager for police and has been with New Zealand Police for 21 years RNZ.

The first conversation between Naidoo and his manager, Assistant Commissioner Tim Anderson, about his candidacy took place in the week starting 25 May. On Thursday 28 May, Naidoo gave Anderson printed copies of police policies, Public Service Commission guidelines, and the parts of the Electoral Act 1993 that cover standing for elected office.

On the afternoon of 4 June, Naidoo told Anderson in person that he was putting his name forward for the Labour Party's list and would attend a Labour Party Moderating Meeting on 6 June. The moderating meeting is where the party finalises its list rankings. Anderson then briefed Police Commissioner Richard Chambers by phone at 3:21pm the same day.

At about 1:20pm on 7 June, Naidoo contacted Anderson to say he had been selected for a place on the list and would decide that day whether to accept it. By 5:30pm, Naidoo met Anderson in person and confirmed he would take the spot.

Naidoo then sent Anderson an email titled 'New Zealand General Election 2026' in which he said he was standing for Labour as a list candidate and that the announcement would come the next day. In the email, Naidoo said he intended to keep working for police in a non-political way until 30 September 2026, following police, electoral and public service guidelines during that period. He planned to take leave on 30 September, before nomination day on 8 October, with election day on 7 November. If elected, he would officially retire or resign on 27 November, when official results are released. If not elected, he would return to work on the first working day after polling day or at a time agreed with police.

The police manual required an officer of Naidoo's rank to tell the police commissioner directly about any political intentions. However, police chief assurance officer Mike Webb told RNZ there was no correspondence between Naidoo and Commissioner Chambers. RNZ had asked under the Official Information Act for all correspondence between Naidoo and Chambers — and anyone else in police — regarding his intention and decision to stand for Labour. Police supplied the information on a Wednesday RNZ.

Chambers said Naidoo's role in police was now untenable and that Naidoo should have told him earlier. A review is under way into the period during which Naidoo was engaging with the Labour Party. Naidoo is currently on leave from police RNZ.

The case drew political attention in June. Labour leader Chris Hipkins accused Commissioner Chambers of not being a good employer over his comments about Naidoo RNZ. Ethnic communities publicly backed Naidoo as a Labour candidate RNZ. Police Minister Mark Mitchell hit out at what he described as character attacks over Naidoo's candidacy RNZ.

The broader context here is the gap between what the police manual required and what actually happened. The manual said a senior officer should go directly to the commissioner with political intentions. In practice, Naidoo spoke with his direct manager, Anderson, roughly two weeks before his candidacy was confirmed. Anderson then briefed Chambers by phone on 4 June — the same day Naidoo formally told Anderson he was putting his name forward. The OIA release confirms there was no written correspondence between Naidoo and Chambers himself.

That gap between the manual's expectation and what occurred is central to Chambers' assessment that Naidoo's position is untenable. The ongoing review into the period of Naidoo's engagement with the Labour Party will likely examine whether passing information through Anderson was enough to meet the manual's intent, or whether the requirement for direct notification to the commissioner was breached in substance if not in spirit.

For those working in and around the Beehive, the case also touches on the broader conventions around public servants entering political life. Naidoo's email set out a detailed plan to stay in his police role in a non-political capacity until 30 September, take leave before nomination day, and either resign or resume duties depending on the election outcome. Whether that plan would have been viable had the notification issue not arisen is now moot. The review and Naidoo's current leave status indicate the matter is far from resolved, and the outcome of the review may have implications for how police manage similar situations in the lead-up to the November election.