Hipkins Wants Police to Explain 'Ongoing Matter' Involving Labour Candidate Naidoo

Labour leader Chris Hipkins says Police need to "front up" and "explain what is going on" about an "ongoing matter" involving former senior officer and Labour candidate Rakesh Naidoo.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell has confirmed there is an "ongoing matter" in relation to Naidoo but will not say what it is, according to RNZ. Mitchell said he could not comment further, citing section 6(c) of the Official Information Act — the part of the law that lets information be withheld to protect law enforcement.

Hipkins said he had "absolute confidence in Rakesh Naidoo" and that Naidoo "has behaved with absolute integrity throughout this process". He said neither Naidoo nor the Labour Party knows what is alleged. He said Mitchell should not use his position as minister to make unsubstantiated insinuations, or claims without public evidence, against a rival candidate.

Mitchell rejected that. He told RNZ Hipkins should not be commenting on something that had nothing to do with him. When RNZ asked Police whether there was an investigation into Naidoo, Police said they had no further comment.

Mitchell has also declined to release information about a sensitive briefing attended by Naidoo, again citing section 6(c). The central question is unanswered. There is a confirmed matter. Its nature is not public.

The dispute goes back to June, when Naidoo's selection as a Labour candidate was announced. The announcement drew public criticism from Police Commissioner Richard Chambers and from Mitchell over the timing of disclosure to Police. An internal review later concluded Naidoo had complied with police policy, while noting it would have been prudent, or sensible, for him to give superiors more advance warning.

Mitchell confirmed to RNZ he had two phone calls with Chambers on 8 and 9 June to discuss the Naidoo situation. Ministers and commissioners speak. The convention, the unwritten rule, is that ministers do not direct operations.

The exchanges have sharpened in September. Hipkins accused Mitchell of inventing allegations against Naidoo, as reported by the NZ Herald on 15 September. Hipkins also accused Chambers of not being a good employer over the handling of the comments about Naidoo. Earlier, in June, Hipkins had backed the handling of Naidoo's addition to Labour's list and described Mitchell's position on the candidacy as "unreasonable", according to 1News. RNZ first reported the reference to an ongoing matter at 1:17pm on 15 September.

Naidoo himself has declined to fire back at police leadership over criticism of his move into politics, while maintaining he did nothing wrong. That position was reported on 9 September.

Naidoo was a well known figure inside Police. He became the first person from the Asian community to be appointed to the rank of Inspector in New Zealand Police, according to Police. He had served for 21 years and held the rank of Superintendent at Police National Headquarters at the time of the first King's Birthday Honours. Then an Inspector, he was in Christchurch within hours of the mosque attacks, facing grieving families.

The broader context here is familiar to anyone who works the Beehive. A serving senior officer standing for an opposition party tests the boundary between political neutrality and employment rights. A police minister commenting, even in general terms, on an unnamed matter involving that candidate tests the boundary between accountability and operational independence. The use of section 6(c) protects law enforcement processes. Like a gap in the record, it also creates a vacuum. Hipkins is seeking to fill it with a demand for an explanation. Mitchell is holding the line on non-comment. Until Police or the minister define the matter, the allegation and the denial will continue to run past each other.