Naidoo, police’s ethnic, iwi and communities national partnerships manager, was given the 13th spot on Labour’s candidate list for the upcoming election, placing him above many current MPs and essentially guaranteeing him a seat in Parliament.
After the list was published on Monday, Police Minister and National MP Mark Mitchell told the Herald he was disappointed Naidoo only disclosed his candidacy a few days before, despite having had conversations with Labour for months.
Mitchell was particularly concerned about Naidoo’s access to sensitive information relating to public safety and Government policy. He did not provide evidence Naidoo had inappropriately shared sensitive information.
Chambers echoed that disappointment in his own statement and considered it “untenable” for Naidoo to continue in his role with police. Chambers later announced the review into whether any information had been shared with any third party during the period Naidoo was in contact with Labour.
Superintendent Rakesh Naidoo’s selection as a Labour candidate has concerned Police Minister Mark Mitchell.
It’s set off a political stoush in which Labour leader Chris Hipkins has criticised Chambers for launching an investigation without providing evidence and Labour’s police spokeswoman Ginny Andersen accusing Mitchell of compromising Chambers’ independence, a claim Mitchell strongly rejects.
The duration of the investigation isn’t yet clear. It’s understood Naidoo would go through a consultation period with police and complete handovers before leaving the force to campaign for Labour.
Some people the Herald spoke to acknowledged they knew and had worked with Naidoo but declined to comment given the ongoing investigation and the political nature of the debate.
Former Race Relations Commissioner Gregory Fortuin worked alongside Naidoo as fellow members of Chambers’ ethnic advisory forum.
“[Naidoo’s] integrity is beyond doubt based on my experience, and I would challenge anybody who’s worked with him to say otherwise,” Fortuin told the Herald.
He wouldn’t comment further while police were investigating.
Former Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres is questioning whether the police investigation is politically motivated. Photo / NZME
De Bres, who was commissioner between 2002 and 2013, said he had interacted with Naidoo over a period of about 20 years and described him as an “outstanding police officer”.
“[Naidoo] has always been very loyal to the police and very conscious of what he can and what he can’t say and what he can and can’t do.
“He really is very highly regarded in ethnic communities … he mobilised for the mosque attacks in Christchurch overnight, he was there with his team working with the families and guiding the police during that awful event.
“I know that [former Race Relations Commissioner] Dame Susan Devoy speaks highly of him … and what I find difficult is that he’s now suddenly seems to be under accusation of not behaving properly as a public servant, which I flatly reject.”
De Bres said he found Naidoo, currently the highest ranking police officer of Indian descent, a strong supporter of initiatives concerning ethnic communities and provided a vital link to the highest level of police.
“I know that the police commissioner knows that and his predecessors all know it, he was a critical connection between the police and ethnic communities because they trusted him and he was able to win their trust for the police.”
Police Superintendent Rakesh Naidoo, seen here with Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro.
While de Bres was confident those connections would continue, he suspected Naidoo’s treatment would cause some blowback.
“This will have damaged [the relationships] but no doubt [ethnic communities] will want to continue to maintain a good relationship with the police because they need the police, but the police also need them.”
De Bres said he was “very disappointed” with Chambers’ handling of the matter.
“I’m just kind of astonished and concerned that all of Rakesh’s work seems to count for nothing, and I expect he’ll be getting a lot of support from within the police force for his current situation.”
He questioned whether Naidoo would have been placed under this level of scrutiny had he stood for another party, a nod to Mitchell’s role as a National Party MP.
“It seems like the minister and the commissioner have been riding tandem in terms of criticising Rakesh and I deplore that.
“To somehow say, ‘We’re going to review this because we don’t know whether he’s possibly shared confidential information’, well, that’s an insult to the reputation that I know that Rakesh has in the community and I think in the police.”
Chambers, currently flying to Britain, told the Herald in a statement he didn’t want to stand in the way of Naidoo pursuing a political career.
However, he maintained it wasn’t acceptable he was “blind” to Naidoo’s conversations with Labour until last Thursday.
“I do not consider that satisfactory. I have sought a review now simply because I do need reassurance about the period Rakesh was engaging in discussions over his candidacy.
“I acknowledge the assurances of others that there was integrity in how this was handled. That may indeed be the case. However, I cannot simply take the word of others for that.”
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.