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Police Minister Mark Mitchell says he is disappointed police superintendent Rakesh Naidoo didn’t disclose early enough his intention to run as a Labour candidate, despite having access to sensitive briefings related to public safety and government policy. Naidoo, the ethnic, iwi and communities national partnerships manager at New Zealand Police, was today confirmed as a Labour list candidate, ranked high at 13, above many current sitting MPs. Labour leader Chris Hipkins this morning described Naidoo as a “real catch” for Labour, given his “wealth of experience”. “He’s got a, a depth of experience working with Māori, with the Pacific, working with the ethnic communities across the country where he’s got very deep connections. Superintendent Rakesh Naidoo, MNZM, who in 2023 received recognition for services to the New Zealand Police and ethnic communities. “He has a lot of thoughts about how we can build an inclusive, safe, welcoming Aotearoa.” Hipkins said Naidoo wouldn’t be joining Labour on the campaign trail immediately, as he was in conversation with Police Commissioner Richard Chambers about how to transition from a politically neutral police employee to an election candidate. Hipkins appeared certain Naidoo had sufficiently disclosed his intention to contest the election. “I’m very confident in the level of integrity that he has displayed through this process, and I’ve certainly had no feedback from the police to the contrary.” Police guidance states they must notify their intention to contest an election to either their district commander or commissioner at the “earliest opportunity” to avoid compromising the political neutrality of police. In a statement, Mitchell told the Herald he was only made aware of Naidoo’s political aspirations last night, ahead of this morning’s list announcement. Police Commissioner Richard Chambers and Police Minister Mark Mitchell during a press conference at Parliament in November. Photo / Mark Mitchell “The electoral commission advises that for prospective candidates it’s preferable to notify their employer as early as possible, to allow for the employer to make any necessary arrangements for that process to take place, such as leave and reduced access to sensitive information. Mr Naidoo has chosen not to do that,” Mitchell said. “Police have clear guidelines for staff pursuing political matters, and it is now for them to consider whether his actions were in line with these requirements.” The Herald has sought a response from Chambers. Mitchell said he was “particularly disappointed” that Naidoo was included in “sensitive briefings in relation to public safety and government policy” and had been attending events with him as recently as yesterday. “In my view, it is critical that the public can have confidence that police are politically neutral. The respectful and right thing to do would have been for Mr Naidoo to be transparent and disclose his intentions from the outset.” The Labour Party declined the Herald’s request to interview Naidoo this morning, citing his transition from his role with police. Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald’s Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland.
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