Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has started a day of visits alongside new Police Minister Ginny Andersen by saying he would be “keeping an eye on you” to make sure she did a good job of the portfolio at a marae visit.
Hipkins is in the Hutt Valley today with Andersen for visits, including to his old school, Waterloo School, and for lunch at his favourite pie shop.
Hipkins spoke to media after midday, and faced further questions about Andersen and Immigration NZ’s review of the right for British anti-transgender activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull - known as Posie Parker - to enter New Zealand this weekend.
Asked about progress on He Waka Eke Noa, Hipkins said climate change was a “bread and butter issue”.
In response to an investigation into the lobbying industry, Hipkins said his chief of staff starting work shortly after a decision to scrap the container refund scheme that he had lobbied against was an “absolute coincidence”.
Targeting lobbying affected other people taking part in the democratic process and he did not want a chilling effect on the industry.
He said he was able to manage real conflict and perception, and filling a job like chief of staff meant they needed someone for the position who understood the system.
He said he would not rule out introducing any lobbying rules in the future.
He said there was nothing new on the anti-transgender activist’s visit and visa review and said her comments that NZ was “Orwellian” sound “like the comments of someone who just wants to get a headline”.
If there needed to be a decision it would go to the Minister of Immigration, Hipkins said, and he would not involve himself in it.
On Foreign Minsiter Nanaia Mahuta’s China visit, he said trade and global issues would be on the table.
“Clearly we will have a lot to talk about,” Hipkins said, including the war in Ukraine and issues in the Pacific.
On the IPCC report calling for radical action on climate change, Hipkins said he wanted to reduce NZ’s emissions in the “most effective way”.
The report identified methane as most important. Hipkins said NZ had taken longer to make decisions but the targets were still in place.
Police Minister Ginny Andersen said retail crime would be a focus and she’d work to make sure it is reduced.
Retail crime and youth offending and gang activity are her priorities.
On comments she was not an experienced enough politician for the role, Andersen said she knew it was a tough job but she would be up to it.
She said she would be focusing on community safety.
Andersen said she had put her hand up for the role a long time ago and she had always wanted to be Minister of Police. The extra scrutiny would not change how she approached the role, she said.
“Time for pie,” said Hipkins as the press conference ended.
Hipkins’ day started with a pōwhiri at Orongomai marae, where he said that his first briefing from Police Commissioner Andrew Coster was just round the corner at the Upper Hutt police station.
”I know that you’re going to do an amazing job in the portfolio,” Hipkins said to Andersen.”And I’ll be keeping an eye on you to make sure you do,” he said to laughter from those in the wharenui.
Hipkins is the Remutaka MP, covering Upper Hutt, while Andersen is Hutt South MP. However, the attention will be on Andersen’s new ministerial role, after comments from Police Association head Chris Cahill that it was a bit disappointing Hipkins had opted for a new, junior minister to take over police.
Speaking on RNZ, Cahill said Andersen had started well by contacting him last night and showing she was willing to engage with Police. However, she had only been a minister for a couple of months and her junior status meant she would not yet have heft around the Cabinet table.
Hipkins yesterday denied National police spokesman Mark Mitchell’s claim that it showed Labour had “given up” on law and order. He dismissed concerns about Andersen’s inexperience, pointing to her background as a policy adviser for Police and chair of Parliament’s Justice select committee. He said that as a recent Police minister himself, he would maintain a focus on the portfolio and the issue of crime.
Keen-Minshull is due in both Auckland and Wellington for her Let Women Speak tour this weekend - but Immigration NZ is reviewing whether visa-free entry should be granted following protests at her events in Perth and Melbourne, with some people seen giving Nazi salutes and shouting slurs at counter-protesters.
Keen-Minshull, who describes herself as a women’s rights activist, told the Herald she hadn’t heard from Immigration New Zealand (INZ) but was aware of its review.
“I find [the review] absolutely Orwellian, insane. I would agree with [Hipkins], I condemn free speech when it’s used to silence women, for example when people say men can be women,” she said.
“Free speech is a difficult principle to uphold and I fundamentally uphold it.”
Yesterday, Hipkins said he condemned people who used their right to free speech in a way that seeks to deliberately create division.
This, he said, applied to both the anti-transgender rights discussion and Nazi messaging.