PHOTO
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 the Minister, Mark Mitchell, last week said there was an "ongoing matter" in relation to Naidoo, a former superintendent, 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."
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 that 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 this year - prompted criticism from Police Commissioner Richard Chambers and 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."
After the review's findings were announced, Mitchell confirmed to RNZ he had two phone calls with Chambers on June 8 and 9.
"[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".
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, he 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. I am grateful that once they looked into it, the review found that I'd follow the right process."
