By Nik Dirga of RNZ
Explainer: The recent assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump sent shock waves around the globe. What kind of protection do New Zealand politicians get in a violent world?
It has not risen to the level of an assassination attempt, but political violence has certainly touched Aotearoa in recent years, including during the 2022 occupation of the Parliament grounds that ended in a violent confrontation.
In 2009, Prime Minister John Key was assaulted but not seriously hurt while attending Waitangi celebrations at Te Tii Marae.
In 2019, then-Green party co-leader James Shaw was attacked on the street by a man who shouted political comments at him.
There have also been incidents such as a woman attacking then-Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s office with a sword in 2022.
And, of course, that does not take into account the seething cauldron of threats unleashed online daily against politicians of all stripes.
A recent University of Otago study looked at harassment of politicians, and 98% of the 54 MPs who took part “said they had experienced harassment, ranging from disturbing communication to actual physical violence”.
In the US, the Secret Service is responsible for protecting the president.
It was formed in 1865 as a branch of the US Treasury department. It was not until the assassination of President William McKinley in 1901 - the third presidential assassination in less than 40 years - that their mission widened to include protecting the President, Vice-President and others.
The Dignitary Protection Service or DPS is a division of the New Zealand Police, which works to protect the Prime Minister and other figures.
However, the specifics of security are kept under a pretty tight veil of secrecy.
“Police [do] not make comment on who we provide close personal protection for, or the way that protection is provided,” a spokesperson for NZ Police told RNZ.
NZ Police’s website says the DPS, based in Wellington and Auckland, are “responsible for the protection of Parliament, Government House in both Wellington and Auckland, and at Premier House for the Prime Minister”.
DPS is nowhere near the scale of the US Secret Service, said former intelligence worker Paul G Buchanan, the director of the 36th Parallel Assessments risk and strategic assessment consultancy.
“The US Secret Service is a dedicated agency with more than 8000 employees, both uniformed and in civilian clothes ... The DPS is a special unit within the NZ Police, much smaller in number and lacking autonomous resources.”
Police serving in DPS would get special training for their roles.
They would have to be fit, observant, discreet and good at multi-tasking, Buchanan said, and would need to be “cool, calm and collected in a crisis”.
“In other words, no Rambos or John Wicks. Low-key bodyguard professionalism, in other words.”
Comments on the record by DPS staff are rare.
In a 2018 interview with Newshub, DPS Sergeant Stephen Worthy said: “There’s a lot going on behind the sunglasses. You’re constantly scanning your surroundings, figuring out what’s going on.”
Buchanan said generally, New Zealand protection follows the form set in other nations.
“VIP protection provided by the NZ Police DPS and uniformed officers is much looser [than the American Secret Service] but follows the format of concentric circles - close personal protection surrounding the VIP and then wider circles of police and other security officers.”
The level of protection the DPS offers is not at the massive scale seen in the US, he said.
“Think of it this way, have you ever seen armoured vehicle convoys and snipers located on rooftops when the PM travels and does a walkabout in public places?”
Protection services include advance venue and route familiarisation and planning, venue and accommodation searches and security, walking escorts, motorcades, “safe haven” and other contingency planning, NZ Police say.
There is also a wide variety of networking that goes between other police divisions, foreign police and partner and external agencies.
The current Governor-General and Prime Minister are provided continuous protection, NZ Police says on its website.
Individual MPs, the judiciary and leaders of opposition parties are provided protection on an as-needed basis, the agency states. A range of protection services are also provided for domestic and overseas VIP operations.
In a statement to RNZ, Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said security remained a priority.
“Parliamentary Service takes the safety and security of members of Parliament and staff very seriously,” he said.
“For security reasons, we cannot reveal what measures are in place to protect our people on Parliamentary precinct.”
Trump was a former US President when attacked but was still under the umbrella of Secret Service protection.
All former US presidents and their spouses are protected for life unless they decline protection, the Secret Service says.
When it comes to former prime ministers in Aoteraoa, however, it appears that protection is decided on a case-by-case basis. Again, NZ Police would not be drawn on specifics.
When Ardern stepped down as Prime Minister, for example, Buchanan told RNZ he believed that due to ongoing threats against her, she and her family would need continued protection “given the amount of violent hatred that has been directed towards them”.
In Budget 2023, the Government allocated $14 million over the next four years to improve Parliamentary security.
Gonzalez-Montero said then that this funding would be used to deploy security to electorate offices when needed, and to respond to an increased demand from MPs to have their homes checked and fitted out with security equipment.
In September just before last year’s election, the home of Te Pāti Māori candidate Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke was reportedly entered, vandalised, and a threatening letter left behind.
Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee said last month he wanted to increase security for MPs while out in the community before something “goes very wrong”.
Brownlee told the NZ Herald he was not saying that DPS should cover more MPs “but we do need to have a discussion about where the interface is between Parliament’s own security and police outside the Parliamentary environment”.
RNZ asked the Parliamentary Services office if any of the $14m had yet been used.
“Of the $14 million total appropriated over four years for security measures and member support staff, approximately $5.7m went to enhancing security measures for members and their staff,” Gonzalez-Montero told RNZ.
This funding would primarily be used to provide additional security assistance for members engaging with their constituents at public or community events and their home residence or Wellington accommodation, he said.
This work was successfully trialled in the lead-up to Election 2023.
“Part of this funding allocation will also be used to increase security staffing numbers on Parliament grounds to ensure the safety of everyone.
“This allows us to increase staff numbers quickly when necessary as well as offer security assistance at members’ offices around the country. The remainder of the funding will be used to increase the capability and capacity of member staff.”
Security must adapt with the times and while the US is very different - looser gun control, for example - that could easily change, Buchanan said.
“The security situation in NZ is nowhere close to that of the US but has started to show signs of being influenced by US-style approaches to social and political differences. That is not good.”
“Given the tenor of the times, the calls to beef up security are warranted.”
He skipped school Monday, prompting the search.