Police Minister blocks MP from meeting commanders, says cops ‘too busy’
Police Minister Poto Williams has refused to let National’s police spokesman meet the Commissioner or any district commanders, saying cops are too busy for him.
Mark Mitchell took over the National police portfolio late last year and has cried foul over Williams’ repeated refusals of his requests.
The Opposition MP and Williams also had a feisty exchange in the House today, where the minister accused former cop Mitchell of “disrespecting” police.
I’ve never really liked Poto Williams. Her attempt to smear Willie Jackson and stop him from becoming a member of Labour (a strategic decision that ended up winning Labour the 2017 election by the way) by hiring a PR team to promote a bullshit letter signed by 100 Young Labour activists (where is that letter with all those signatures now I wonder? All at The Standard?) has always left a bad taste in my mouth, so her latest disastrous attempts to smear Mark Mitchell is more par for the course from the Minister.
Look, no one like Mark Mitchell, and nor should they, but he is the Opposition spokesperson on Police, he has to be allowed to meet the top brass and talk to them.
This is basic stuff and yet Poto is refusing to allow him to meet Police and then has the audacity to accuse Mitchell of ‘disrespecting’ police.
Mark Mitchell worships the bloody Police, of all the things to claim he is, ‘disrespecting Police’ ain’t one of them.
This is Poto Williams playing petty games and thinking they are Machiavellian masterstrokes and then when she gets caught out in Parliament doing it, resorts to name calling Mark Mitchell.
It’s petty and it’s beneath the mana of Parliament and the office she holds.
Let Mark Mitchell meet Police and criticise his actual policy suggestions rather than play games and name call!
In light of the petty spite Trevor Mallard showed during the Dumb Lives Matter protest, do we honestly think Labour should be playing this type of politics?
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I think but I don’t really know that Poto Williams has previously hired pr persons to advance her cause, and I placed this in the context of yet another girl from the east side of Christchurch wanting to get power, a bit like the women from seemingly lower socio-economic families of origin who John Key seemed to favour, like Bennett and Willis, and one or two others put in important positions. Whether they always have the objectivity to do their jobs competently is another story altogether.
Mitchell wasn’t exactly from the top echelons of the NZ Police, and his post-police activities don’t impress everyone, but this looks odd. It looks tyrannical, but it may not be unreasonable not expecting Andrew Coster to have to dumb down to converse with Mark Mitchell. There’s nothing to stop Mitchell making an appointment himself to go to see anybody under the sun, anywhere. I’ve done it.
Government ministers can’t stop opposition spokesmen from having direct contact with their HOD’s – they’re not Adam Smith’s invisible hands – not really. But nor should ministers be running their diaries for them, there are other words for this.
Good point Snow white. We’re not in USSR/Russia, where there’s only one party POV. Let Mark Mitchell, get up from counting how much more money he’ll have under Chris Luxon’s tax cut package, to go over and talk to to Andrew Coster, one on one.
Mark can then come up with a Nat-Centric perspective “from the Police Commissioner” on how to fix society with the Police’s help and advice. Then debate it during the year- lead-up to the election.
The problem now is that the Nat-Trolls, who have developed from Drity Politics Young Nat-Trolls https://www.google.com/search?q=Chode&rlz=1C1GCEU_enNZ993NZ993&oq=Chode&aqs=chrome..69i57.2701j0j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on have vultured onto this issue. Reading the comments here, we have a misogynisti and racist hate-fest against Poto Williams (NOT Potatoe Williams). Purile teen-speak, more than likely condoned by Chris ‘Spud’ Luxon.
It’s National Party Dirty Politics trolling. My wife Michelle and I are livid with this and I am having to give her a neck rub between her posts and mine in our crusade against the “Dirty Politics of the National Party – the gift that keep on giving”
Poto is a walking disaster full stop and she is one of the many reasons Labour are diving in the polls but she’s only copying the bosses example with Labour blocking the oppositions access to the police commissioner. Labour know they are weak in the law and order department.
Labour are trying to stop democracy functioning by trying to control everything. Shame on them! And I hate to concur with Barry Soper today but he’s right!
I hope it blows up in their arrogant out of touch faces!
X-ray. She can’t actually block access, but given the government’s reluctance to engage in dialogue with dissenters, she could get Trevor to turn the sprinklers on over Mitchell, or get dreadful music streamed through his electronics and see if that scuppers him, then blame others.
She could lock Commissioner Coster up and throw away the key, that would stop anyone from getting to him. It ( and worse ) happens in other jurisdictions of the sort which we’re heading towards now. Home detention could be another option but it can be quite hard on the wife and kiddies. What a conundrum she has created.
Why would a winner like Costar who is following up to date global policing policy dumb down to talk with Mitchell about outdated old loser tory methods with a special focus on Maori and Pacifica.
With all due respect, that’s not the point. If National was in power and wouldn’t allow Labour’s Police spokesperson to talk with senior police, especially after a major police action that was the subject of an enquiry, I’m sure you’d be screaming blue murder.
It’s a question of transparency and process. When you allow personal bias, political leanings or your like or dislike of a person come into it then you’re on shaky ground.
Ask Mrs XRAY, or Mr XRAY what she/he thinks of your misogyny?
Then apologise to her/him, for you developing such misogynistic viewpoints, even while married to a wo/man who has for years overlooked your stunted chode.
I’ll give you the link because I know it’s not easy searching with one hand: https://www.google.com/search?q=Chode&rlz=1C1GCEU_enNZ993NZ993&oq=Chode&aqs=chrome..69i57.2701j0j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on
Or blame her/him for being a wo/man, who has withheld her wo/manly favours from you because you sit typing with one hand at your keyboard, abusing women in New Zealand.
Hey XRAY, any relation to these Dirty Politics juveniles? https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/03/national-investigating-online-trolling-linked-to-young-nat-s-house.html
XRAY? “Out of touch”? Really?
Pot.
Kettle.
Black.
Used monosyllables for you dearie!
We must remember this is the most open and transparent government ever our is that another promise not kept.
I’d be willing to bet a reasonable amount that its the other way round – Police are telling her they don’t want to meet with Mitchell, and she does their bidding.
Based on a few occurrences lately, it really looks like the tail is waging the dog on Police matters
Young Nat’s Trolling Opposition Female MP’s Dirty Politics 101 raising it’s ugly head again, is Crosby Textor in behind this latest gig ?
Must be some room for Winston Peters NZF to get 5%, with all this nonsense coming out of National/ACT lately, I still can’t see how people rate David Seymour above Winston Peters. Winston on a Bad Day is still better than David Seymour on a Good Day.
Maybe we may see the rebirthing of NZF over the next 18 months ? Definitely some space on the Centre Right ?
Young Nat’s Trolling Opposition Female MP’s Dirty Politics 101 raising it’s ugly head again, is Crosby Textor in behind this latest gig ?
Must be some room for Winston Peters NZF to get 5%, with all this nonsense coming out of National/ACT lately, I still can’t see how people rate David Seymour above Winston Peters. Winston on a Bad Day is still better than David Seymour on a Good Day.
Maybe we may see the rebirthing of NZF over the next 18 months ? Definitely some space on the Centre Right ?
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