Episode description
Police Minister is a tough gig: focusing on social issues leads to 'soft-on-crime' criticism while going too hard can look like populism. With four ministers in eight months it's ended up a hot-potato portfolio for Labour, and the latest appointee Ginny Andersen has only been in Cabinet since February - raising a few eyebrows. She evidently wanted the role and says she's more than capable of steadying the ship, but the law-and-order focused opposition will be eager to test her mettle in an election year: she will have her work cut out for her. In this week's Focus on Politics Political Reporter Giles Dexter assesses how police has proven so challenging for Labour, and the prospects of its latest appointee.
"I am absolutely committed to improving community safety" - Ginny Andersen
Police Minister is a tough gig: focusing on social issues leads to 'soft-on-crime' criticism while going too hard can look like populism.
With four ministers in eight months it's ended up a hot-potato portfolio for Labour, and the latest appointee Ginny Andersen has only been in Cabinet since February - raising a few eyebrows.
She evidently wanted the role and says she's more than capable of steadying the ship, but the law-and-order focused opposition will be eager to test her mettle in an election year: she will have her work cut out for her.
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Stuart Nash was Labour's police minister from 2017 to 2020, overseeing police during the firearms reforms, the Whakaari White Island response, and first few months of the Covid pandemic.
Jacinda Ardern changed tack in her second term - bringing Poto Williams into the role - but by mid-2022 the opposition was landing too many "soft on crime" blows. Williams - soon to announce her retirement from politics anyway - was shuffled out in favour of Ardern's Mr Fix-it Chris Hipkins to take a much harder line.
But Hipkins was a natural successor as prime minister when Ardern resigned in January, and chose to take police full circle - back to Nash, who had coveted the role.
Nash's second stint lasted less than two months however, after his cavalier approach to Cabinet rules was exposed. The fallout from his indiscretions eventually led to his dismissal from Cabinet entirely and continues to bedevil Labour.
Few from Hipkins' front bench seemed keen to step up after Nash's resignation, but Ginny Andersen - the MP for his neighbouring electorate of Hutt South - who he'd only just elevated to Cabinet with the Seniors, Small Business, and Digital Economy and Communications portfolios - put her hand up.
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