KEY POINTS:
Incoming Police Minister Judith Collins is concerned the force is viewed as becoming "politicised" under Labour.
National has previously criticised the police of being biased towards Labour.
Ms Collins told the Herald she wanted Commissioner Howard Broad to explain whether allegations of politicisation were perceived or real.
"I
want to make sure that [politicisation] is only a perception. And I want them to get rid of that perception ... because it's not good for the police or for the country."
Ms Collins refused to give examples of politicisation yesterday, but former National leader Don Brash was critical of cases not being pursued against outgoing Prime Minister Helen Clark for forgery over Paintergate, former Minister David Benson-Pope over allegations of assaulting students and Labour for paying for its pledge card with taxpayer money.
Ms Collins said she also had no problem in stepping into Mr Broad's "operational" area and telling him to put an extra 300 officers into South Auckland by the end of 2010 as National has promised.
"I have no concerns about saying 'this is a policy that this Government has been elected on and I expect that to be fulfilled as part of the operational requirements that we expect of you'."
The policy will require an extra 224 officers recruited over the 376 already planned and will see every second recruit sent to South Auckland but Ms Collins said she was confident it could be fulfilled.
Police numbers are a priority for the 49-year-old Ms Collins, who won the new electorate of Papakura, which includes areas like Manurewa's Randwick Park where liquor store owner Navtej Singh was shot dead this year.
Ms Collins said during the campaign that law and order was the number one issue in the electorate before the economy.
In 2006, as MP for Clevedon, she presented a 5000-signature petition to Parliament calling for the ratio of police to residents in Counties-Manukau to be no less than one to 556. It is currently one to 658.
Ms Collins, a lawyer, has a reputation as a hard-liner and said she volunteered herself for law and order portfolios to National leader John Key.
She was also given the Corrections portfolio, which she conceded had issues although she was looking at it "in a positive light".
National demanded accountability from Labour ministers over the failures by Corrections, but Ms Collins said she would not be taking the blame for any botch-ups - immediately at least.
"The outgoing Labour Government never did in nine years, so I think I'll give myself a bit of a chance before I go round answering for their mistakes."