A senior Police manager has apologised for confusion over how Superintendent Rakesh Naidoo handled his move into politics, adding another twist to a controversy that erupted after the high-ranking officer was selected as a Labour candidate.
Naidoo, who has served as Police national partnerships manager for iwi and ethnic communities, was announced in June at number 13 on Labour’s party list for the November 7 general election.
His high ranking makes him a strong prospect of entering Parliament and immediately sparked questions over when Police management was informed he was considering standing for Labour.
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers initially expressed disappointment over the timing of Naidoo’s disclosure and said remaining in his existing senior role had become untenable.
Police Minister Mark Mitchell also criticised the situation, saying he was disappointed Naidoo had not disclosed his intentions earlier given his senior position and access to sensitive information.
Police subsequently launched a review covering the period when Naidoo was engaging with Labour before formally advising Police of his candidacy.
The review was tasked with examining meetings Naidoo attended as a senior Police leader, information he had access to because of his position and whether any information had been improperly shared with a third party.
But the latest development has shifted attention towards Police management itself, with an apology for confusion surrounding what Naidoo had communicated about his political intentions.
The dispute has centred heavily on the wording of Police rules requiring staff intending to stand for public office to advise management at the earliest opportunity.
Labour has maintained Naidoo followed the appropriate process, while Police leadership initially took a different view of when that obligation should have been triggered.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins has strongly defended his candidate and previously accused Commissioner Chambers of publicly making claims about Naidoo before there was evidence to support them.
The controversy has also generated debate over political neutrality within Police.
Police Association president Steve Watt has stressed the importance of maintaining neutrality while downplaying concerns that Naidoo’s Labour candidacy should change perceptions of the wider Police service.
Naidoo brings a significant background in community engagement to Labour.
His Police role has involved partnerships with iwi and ethnic communities, and his career has included extensive work around diversity, community relationships and social cohesion.
The political stakes are considerable.
At number 13 on Labour’s list, Naidoo is positioned well above many sitting MPs and is likely to become one of the party’s new faces in Parliament if Labour performs around current expectations.
But what began as a story about a senior Police officer moving into politics has increasingly become a story about how Police management handled that transition.
The latest apology will inevitably raise fresh questions about whether the initial public criticism of Naidoo was justified and whether the situation could have been managed differently before becoming a national political controversy.
With Election 2026 approaching, Naidoo now moves from a career built around policing and community relationships towards the intensely partisan environment of Parliament.
The argument over how he got there, however, may still have some distance to run.
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