Police will no longer be able to be councillors too, after a surprise flip-flop by the Government.
A clause preventing police from being elected to their district council was slipped into the Policing Bill in Parliament yesterday - just weeks after Police Minister Annette King assured it wouldnot happen.
The flip-flop was attributed as being part of the price of New Zealand First's support to get the emissions trading scheme through Parliament.
Police Association president Greg O'Connor said the clause removed "a basic democratic right" for police.
Mr O'Connor said that after two years of consultation over the Policing Bill, it had no chance to state its case before the clause was reintroduced yesterday.
"They are selling out cops for a carbon deal," Mr O'Connor said.
New Zealand First MP Ron Mark has been the chief promoter of the clause, saying it was wrong to have police officers making regional bylaws that they would have to enforce.
However, it appeared to have been dropped in July when Ms King said Labour would support "cops being councillors".
However, the clause was reintroduced when the bill reached committee stage yesterday and is set to remain before it gets its final reading, likely to be this week.
National MP Chester Borrows said it was a "disgrace" that police could no longer stand for council because of the Government's desperation to get the emissions trading scheme through.
Ms King said the change was not because of a deal, but because of a lot of consideration by the Labour caucus.
The five police officers already sitting on councils will be able to continue because of a "grandfather clause".
Police will still be able to stand for community boards.
